04/04/2026
IS PRESIDENT TINUBU DRIVING NIGERIA TO A ONE-PARTY SYSTEM?
A Dispassionate Analysis of a Political Scientist/Lawyer
PART I
By Joseph Boaz
Political Scientist, Lawyer, Writer, and Public Affairs Analyst
Phone: 08060010034
Email: [email protected]
Introduction:
Nigeria’s contemporary political discourse has increasingly been animated by debates surrounding the growing strength of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the steady influx of politicians from opposition parties into its ranks.
Critics of the current political trajectory argue that these developments are symptomatic of a deliberate strategy by the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to gradually steer Nigeria toward a one-party political order.
Such apprehensions are not entirely surprising in a country whose democratic experience has historically been fragile and periodically interrupted by authoritarian rule. In emerging democracies, any sign of political dominance by a ruling party often triggers fears of democratic regression.
Nevertheless, serious political inquiry must move beyond emotive interpretations toward a more rigorous and legally grounded analysis. When examined through the lenses of constitutional law, political science theory, and comparative democratic practice, the claim that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state under the Tinubu administration becomes considerably less persuasive.
This first part of the essay therefore interrogates the conceptual meaning and defining characteristics of a one-party state, and examines whether Nigeria’s constitutional framework and political practice support the claim that the country is being driven toward such a system.
A One-Party State: Meaning and Characteristics:
In political science literature, a one-party state refers to a political system in which only a single political party is legally permitted to exist and exercise political authority. Under such a system, opposition parties are either expressly prohibited by law or rendered practically impossible through constitutional or institutional arrangements.
In most historical instances, one-party states arise where the constitution explicitly recognizes only one political organization as the legitimate political vehicle through which governance and political participation may occur. Electoral competition, if it exists at all, occurs only within the structures of that single party rather than among multiple parties.
The defining characteristics of a one-party state typically include the following:
1. Legal prohibition or severe restriction of opposition parties
2. Constitutional recognition of only one political party as the state party
3. Absence of competitive multiparty elections
4. Extensive state control over political organization and participation
The central point that emerges from this conceptual framework is that the classification of a country as a one-party or multiparty system is fundamentally a matter of constitutional and legal design.
A political system becomes a one-party state not merely because one party dominates the political arena, but because the laws of the state expressly establish or enforce such dominance.
Consequently, the question of whether Nigeria is evolving into a one-party state must first be examined within the context of its constitutional and statutory legal framework.
Nigeria’s Constitutional Commitment to a Multi-Party System:
Nigeria’s constitutional architecture clearly establishes the country as a multiparty democratic system. The operative legal instrument governing the Nigerian state—the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)—contains several provisions that explicitly recognize and protect the existence of multiple political parties.
Freedom of Political Association:
At the foundation of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy is Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian citizen the right to peaceful assembly and association. Crucially, this provision expressly includes the right of citizens to form or belong to any political party or political association for the advancement of their political interests.This constitutional guarantee ensures that the formation and participation in political parties remains a protected civil liberty within the Nigerian democratic framework.
Constitutional Regulation of Political Parties:
Beyond merely recognizing the right of association, the Constitution further provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for political parties in Sections 221 to 229.
Key provisions include:
Section 221
This section stipulates that no association other than a registered political party shall canvass for votes or contribute to election expenses in any election. The implication is that electoral competition must occur through political parties, thereby institutionalizing a structured multiparty system.
Section 222
This provision outlines the constitutional requirements for the formation and registration of political parties. By specifying objective criteria that associations must meet to qualify as political parties, the Constitution ensures that any group that satisfies these conditions may legitimately participate in Nigeria’s political process.
Section 228
This section empowers the National Assembly to enact laws governing the registration, regulation, and functioning of political parties.
Together, these provisions provide the constitutional basis for the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in registering and regulating political parties.
Statutory Reinforcement Under the Electoral Act:
The multiparty nature of Nigeria’s political system is further reinforced by the Electoral Act 2022, which elaborates the procedures governing the registration, operation, and participation of political parties in elections.
The Act establishes detailed guidelines for party registration, internal party democracy, nomination of candidates, and electoral participation. By creating an open regulatory framework for multiple parties, the law further entrenches Nigeria’s multiparty democratic structure.
As of today, the official records of INEC indicate the existence of twenty-one registered political parties, all of which are legally recognized and permitted to participate in the country’s electoral process. This empirical reality underscores the continued vitality of Nigeria’s multiparty political system.
Judicial Affirmation of Multiparty Democracy:
Nigeria’s judiciary has also played a significant role in strengthening the multiparty character of the political system.
In the landmark Supreme Court decision of INEC v. Balarabe Musa, the Court struck down restrictive administrative guidelines imposed by INEC that had limited the registration of political parties. The Court held that once a political association satisfies the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 222 of the Constitution, it possesses the right to be registered as a political party.
This decision significantly liberalized Nigeria’s political space by affirming that the constitutional intention is to encourage broad political pluralism rather than party monopoly.
The ruling therefore stands as an important judicial safeguard against any attempt to undermine the multiparty structure of Nigeria’s democracy.
Political Defection and Democratic Competition:
The recent wave of political defections into the APC must also be understood within the broader dynamics of democratic competition. Political parties are voluntary associations, and politicians retain the constitutional freedom to change their party affiliation whenever they deem it politically advantageous or ideologically appropriate. Such movements are not unique to Nigeria; they occur in many democratic systems where political actors constantly reposition themselves within shifting political alignments.
While the increasing frequency of defections may raise legitimate concerns regarding ideological commitment and party discipline within Nigerian politics, such movements do not constitute legal evidence of the emergence of a one-party state.
Rather, defections often reflect rational political calculations by individual actors operating within a competitive political environment.
Conclusion:
The claim that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu collapses when subjected to careful constitutional and legal scrutiny.
Nigeria’s political system remains firmly anchored in the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, both of which explicitly establish and protect a multiparty democratic framework. The rights of citizens to form political parties, contest elections, and participate in political competition remain constitutionally guaranteed.
Equally important, no constitutional amendment, legislative enactment, or judicial pronouncement under the Tinubu administration has sought to alter this legal framework or convert Nigeria into a one-party system.
While the ruling APC may currently enjoy considerable political dominance, dominance within a competitive political environment is not synonymous with the legal establishment of a one-party state.
To properly understand the current political developments in Nigeria, attention must therefore shift from constitutional structure to the strategic dynamics of political power consolidation. It is this dimension of political analysis that the second part of this essay will examine.