Abuja, Nigeria – Prominent constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Professor Mike Ozekhome, has issued a stark warning that Nigeria is perilously close to becoming an authoritarian, one-party state.
His remarks, made during an interview on Channels Television’s “Hard Copy” programme yesterday, painted a grim picture of a political landscape riddled with ideological decay, opportunism, and blind loyalty, all conducive to the rise of dictatorship.
Ozekhome’s concerns resonate with a growing sentiment among political analysts and civil society organizations who have observed recent political trends with apprehension.
The frequent defection of politicians across party lines, often without clear ideological justification, has been a particular point of concern, signaling a lack of genuine party distinctiveness.
This “cross-carpeting,” as Ozekhome termed it, reflects a deeper systemic flaw where personal gain often trumps principle.
“Nigeria is gradually driving without knowing it towards a one-party state,” Ozekhome asserted, likening the current political parties to “beans, akara, and moi-moi” – essentially indistinguishable.
He argued that this ideological vacuum allows a dominant political force to exert undue influence over all arms of government – the legislative, judicial, and executive – effectively dismantling the crucial system of checks and balances.
In such a scenario, Ozekhome cautioned, “Everybody will agree. National Assembly pocketed, judiciary will be pocketed, and everybody will be saying ‘yes, yes, yes.’” This chilling prediction highlights the potential for dissent to be stifled and democratic institutions to become mere rubber stamps for the ruling elite.
Drawing parallels to the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) 16-year reign, during which they famously boasted of ruling for 60 years before their eventual collapse, Ozekhome suggested that a similar fate could befall the current government if opposition parties continue to fail in presenting a credible and unified alternative.
The 2027 elections, he implied, could see even less room for a robust opposition if the current trajectory continues.
Beyond the political class, Ozekhome also directed criticism at the Nigerian electorate, diagnosing what he called “Stockholm Syndrome.”
This psychological phenomenon, he explained, sees the oppressed identifying with and even defending their oppressors. “The average Nigerian is so helpless and hopeless, pushed to the wall. Yet, instead of challenging their aggressors, they retreat inwardly,” he lamented.
Despite this grim assessment, Ozekhome maintained a call for citizen action. He passionately urged Nigerians to reclaim their democratic power, emphasizing, “The power is yours; it is not theirs.”
He implored citizens to hold those in government accountable and to resist political complacency, stressing the urgency of a collective rethink of the nation’s political direction before the 2027 polls.
Ozekhome’s powerful intervention serves as a crucial warning and a direct challenge to all stakeholders – politicians and citizens alike – to actively safeguard Nigeria’s fragile democracy against the creeping threat of authoritarianism.
