{"id":200031,"date":"2026-05-31T14:04:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T13:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/can-nigerias-opposition-survive-party-pressure"},"modified":"2026-06-03T17:02:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T16:02:46","slug":"can-nigerias-opposition-survive-party-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/all-news\/can-nigerias-opposition-survive-party-pressure","title":{"rendered":"Can Nigeria\u2019S Opposition Survive Party Pressure?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong> <\/span>Recently, Nigeria witnessed the conclusion of party primary elections that have resulted in a new political landscape, amid rising accusations against the ruling party of suppressing the opposition and concerns over the decline of party pluralism. This comes as the country prepares for the presidential elections scheduled for January 2027.<\/p>\n

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has confirmed his candidacy for a second term at the head of the Progressive Congress party, while the Nigerian Democratic Party has announced its support for presidential candidate Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, according to a local source.<\/p>\n

In contrast, former leader of the People’s Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar has chosen to run through the African Democratic Congress, forming a competitive trio reminiscent of the 2023 election scene.<\/p>\n

However, the People’s Democratic Party enters this phase fragmented, as the faction led by Kbiro Turaki has declared its support for former President Goodluck Jonathan as a presidential candidate, while the other faction backing Nyesom Wike supports Senator Sandy Onor, according to a local newspaper. The same source revealed that most major opposition parties have produced multiple competing candidates from their primaries, except for the Nigerian Democratic Party and Accord, complicating the electoral landscape. Among the 21 registered parties, only five have effective national structures capable of serious competition at all levels, according to the newspaper.<\/p>\n

In an attempt to overcome this fragmentation, 14 opposition parties held a conference in Ibadan, announcing their intention to run a unified presidential candidate in the 2027 elections, as reported by a local source.<\/p>\n

Accusations of Suppression<\/b><\/p>\n

Opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has made explicit accusations against the government for using anti-corruption agencies and security institutions as tools to pressure opposing state governors into joining the ruling party. Additionally, a gathering organized by the African Democratic Congress to welcome Peter Obi in Lagos was attacked by armed groups wielding machetes and clubs, resulting in injuries and property damage, according to a local report. The party held the authorities responsible for the incident, while the ruling party denied any involvement, attributing the violent incidents to internal divisions within the opposition parties.<\/p>\n

Several analysts and politicians have expressed concern over the trajectory of political transformations in the country, with a local magazine describing the successive splits within the People’s Democratic Party and Labour Party in favor of the ruling party as a “gradual slip towards a one-party system.”<\/p>\n

In this context, opposition parties issued a joint statement declaring their intention to “resist all attempts by the ruling party to impose a one-party system on Nigeria,” according to a local newspaper. In response, the spokesperson for the presidency described the opposition as “failed politicians echoing a familiar tune,” denying the validity of the accusations against the government.<\/p>\n

It is worth noting that official election campaigns will commence in September 2026, with the presidential elections taking place on January 16, 2027, marking the first presidential elections held in January since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Nigeria<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. Recently, Nigeria witnessed the conclusion of party primary elections that have resulted in a new political landscape, amid rising accusations against the ruling party of suppressing the opposition and concerns over the decline of party pluralism. This comes as the country prepares for the presidential elections scheduled for January 2027. President Bola […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":200030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1437],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-200031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-nigeria"],"yoast_head":"\nCan Nigeria\u2019S Opposition Survive Party Pressure? - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag"> Africa-Press - Nigeria. 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