One-Party State: Nigeria May Slide Into Dictatorship – Ozekhome

Constitutional lawyer, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has cautioned that Nigeria is veering dangerously toward authoritarianism, warning that the country could morph into a de facto one-party state if current trends continue unchallenged.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme on Saturday, Ozekhome sounded the alarm over what he described as a growing erosion of political diversity and ideological identity in Nigeria’s democratic space.

“In a one-party state, dictatorship reigns supreme. Everybody will agree. National Assembly pocketed, judiciary will be pocketed, and everybody will be saying ‘yes, yes, yes,’” he said.

Ozekhome condemned the escalating pattern of political defections and opportunistic party-switching, branding it a symptom of weak ideological foundations among the nation’s political elite.

“It’s like beans, akara, and moi-moi; they’re the same,” he said.

Drawing from Nigeria’s political history, Ozekhome recalled the overconfidence of the former ruling PDP, which once proclaimed a 60-year reign only to be upended after 16 years. He warned that similar complacency could breed authoritarianism under the current administration.

He pointed to President Bola Tinubu’s consolidation of loyalists across key government institutions, cautioning that if opposition forces remain fragmented, the 2027 election could resemble a solo contest.

Equally troubling to Ozekhome is what he described as the growing apathy of ordinary Nigerians. He likened the public’s resignation to a kind of national “Stockholm Syndrome” — a psychological condition where victims begin to sympathise with their captors.

He called on Nigerians to reclaim their democratic strength, saying, “The power is yours; it is not theirs.”