The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of eroding democratic institutions and turning Nigeria into what it described as a “full authoritarian state.”
The opposition party made the allegation while reacting to a recent assessment by the Human Rights Foundation, which reportedly classified Nigeria as a fully authoritarian regime on its Tyranny Tracker platform.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the assessment reflected what Nigerians have experienced under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.
According to the party, the report highlighted concerns including flaws in Nigeria’s electoral process, restrictions on dissent, weakening of democratic safeguards and the erosion of institutional checks and balances.
“The report confirms the faulty electoral process, absence of protection for dissent, erosion of democratic safeguards and the obvious collapse of checks and balances on the executive by critical national institutions,” the PDP said.
The party also accused the government of suppressing freedom of expression, citing recent criticism directed at Catholic cleric, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and the Catholic Church.
The PDP questioned the alleged attacks on the cleric, arguing that his comments reflected the realities being experienced by many Nigerians.
It further criticised the National Assembly for what it described as a failure to effectively check the executive, alleging that the legislature had not provided meaningful oversight of the administration.
The opposition party also raised concerns over the 2027 general elections, alleging that the process was being deliberately shaped to favour the ruling APC rather than reflect the will of voters.
“The 2027 elections are designed as a mere formality, far from reflecting the people’s wishes through the ballot,” the statement alleged.
The PDP called on the Tinubu administration to take immediate steps to reduce political tensions, accusing the government of “asphyxiating” the opposition and allegedly weaponising security agencies against political opponents.
It also urged the President and his political associates to moderate what it described as “combustible political rhetoric” ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party warned that the 2027 presidential contest would determine not only who occupies the presidency but also the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
“The President must realise that there are two contests embedded in the 2027 Presidential elections—the presidency and the country,” the PDP said.
It urged Nigerians to continue demanding accountability from political leaders, describing accountability as the “irreducible minimum” required for democracy to thrive.
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