A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, has blamed the weakening of Nigeria’s democratic culture on what he described as the failure of the opposition to discharge its constitutional responsibility since the 2023 general elections.
Specifically citing the case of Peter Obi and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as central to the collapse of effective opposition politics, Ajiboye stated that democracy thrives not only through elections but also through strong institutions and credible opposition capable of scrutinizing government policies and presenting viable alternatives.
According to him, having emerged as the leading opposition figures after the 2023 elections, Obi and Atiku have failed to provide the institutional checks necessary for democratic accountability. He argued that the persistent internal crises, leadership disputes and organizational fragmentation within both parties exposed weaknesses in the leadership capacity of their principal figures.
He said as leaders who have continuously struggled to manage their political parties, they may find it even more difficult to govern a nation as diverse and complex as Nigeria.
The APC chieftain further maintained that rather than engaging government policies constructively, the opposition resorted largely to criticism without offering practical alternatives. He noted that genuine opposition should enrich democratic discourse through policy engagement and solutions-driven interventions rather than political rhetoric.
Ajiboye described the deterioration of opposition parties as a major setback for Nigeria’s democratic development, warning that the absence of a strong and organized opposition weakens accountability and reduces healthy political competition. He added that the search for new political coalitions by opposition figures reflects a failure to rebuild and strengthen their existing parties.
He also called for more constructive engagement on critical national issues, including state policing, arguing that Nigeria’s security challenges require innovative reforms and robust debate rather than outright resistance to proposals aimed at improving internal security.
While urging Nigerians to assess future political leaders based on their ability to build institutions, unite diverse interests and sustain internal democracy, Ajiboye called on all political actors to place national interest above personal ambition and recommit themselves to strengthening democratic institutions for the benefit of the country.
