By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed allegations by governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), platform that Nigeria is sliding into dictatorship under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement on Sunday, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, described the claims as “baseless,” insisting that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law.
He argued that the existence of functioning democratic institutions, including the legislature and judiciary-invalidates any suggestion of dictatorship.
The response followed a statement by the PDP Governors’ Forum, issued through its Director-General, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, on Friday, warning that the country was drifting toward “full-blown dictatorship” while citizens faced worsening hardship.
Basiru countered: “They should check the dictionary definition of dictatorship. Nigeria is governed by law, and anyone with grievances against the executive has the right to seek redress through the courts.”
He further challenged the PDP governors to present concrete examples of President Tinubu acting outside the law, asking: “In what way is the President dictating to them? Is he ruling by decree or interfering with how they run their states?”
The APC scribe accused the PDP governors of political grandstanding, urging them to focus on governance in their states rather than issuing what he called “the lamentation of a failed political party.”
Basiru added that under Tinubu’s administration, states have received increased financial allocations, which, he said, should warrant commendation rather than criticism.