Former President Goodluck Jonathan has cautioned that Nigeria risks a political crisis if it drifts toward a one-party state.
He issued the warning in Abuja on Wednesday during a tribute at the memorial lecture and day of tribute for the late elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who passed away in February at 97.
Jonathan emphasized that while a one-party system is not inherently dangerous, it must be carefully designed by political experts and agreed upon through national consensus.
“If we must, as a nation, adopt a one-party system, then it must be designed, planned by experts—and we must know what we are going in for. But if we arrive at it through the back door by political manipulations, then we are heading for crisis,” Jonathan said.
His warning comes amid growing concerns about the increasing number of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Many argue that these defections have significantly weakened opposition platforms, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Adding to the speculation, some PDP governors, including Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, are reportedly supporting President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition, further fueling concerns about a collapsing opposition.
Jonathan’s comments underscore the growing anxiety over political imbalance and the need to safeguard democratic plurality in Nigeria.
