By Ali Sabo

Nigeria’s democracy is facing a quiet but dangerous shift, not through the abolition of opposition parties, but through their systematic weakening. What is unfolding across the country’s political landscape increasingly suggests not just coincidence or internal dysfunction, but a pattern in which opposition parties are being fractured in ways that ultimately benefit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the heart of this crisis is the steady disintegration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While internal divisions have long existed, recent developments point to something more strategic. The prominent role of Nyesom Wike, a leading PDP figure now serving as the FCT Minister within the APC government has blurred the line between opposition and ruling party influence. His continued leverage within PDP structures, combined with legal battles over party leadership, which were put to bed yesterday by the Supreme Court has effectively paralysed the party at a critical moment in Nigeria’s democratic cycle.

The pattern does not end with the PDP. The Labour Party, which energised millions of voters in the last election, is now entangled in leadership disputes and factional crises that have weakened its national momentum. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) faces similar fragmentation. Even newer coalition efforts around the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Senator David Mark, are already showing signs of destabilisation before they can fully consolidate.

Individually, each of these crises might be explained away as internal party failure. But taken together, they reveal a broader pattern: every major opposition platform is simultaneously weakened, divided, or distracted. This is where the question of interference becomes unavoidable.

The circulation and reported video allegedly involving the Chief of Staff to the President, has intensified concerns that these outcomes may not be entirely organic. The suggestion that political actors are being encouraged to remain within opposition parties in order to destabilise them, if true, reflects a strategy that does not eliminate opposition outright, but renders it ineffective from within.

Even beyond that video, Nigeria’s political history shows that power is rarely neutral in moments like this. Influence is exercised through alliances, inducements, strategic appointments, and the leveraging of state and legal processes. When key opposition figures align closely with the ruling establishment while retaining influence in their original parties, it creates conditions for internal sabotage that are difficult to prove, but impossible to ignore.

To be clear, opposition parties are not without fault. Weak internal democracy, personality-driven leadership, and lack of ideological clarity have made them vulnerable. But vulnerability alone does not explain the consistency and timing of the crises now affecting nearly all major opposition platforms.

What emerges is a political environment where: Opposition parties are internally divided, leadership struggles consume their energy, legal disputes stall their progress, and, ultimately, the ruling party faces a fragmented and ineffective challenge

This is how dominant-party systems are built, not by banning opposition, but by ensuring it cannot function effectively.

Nigeria is not yet a one-party state. But if the current trajectory continues, it risks becoming something just as troubling: a system where opposition exists, but only in form, not in strength.

The danger here is not only political; it is democratic. When voters begin to feel that alternatives are weak, compromised, or deliberately undermined, trust in the system erodes. Participation declines. Cynicism grows. And power becomes increasingly concentrated.

The responsibility, therefore, is twofold. The ruling party must recognise that long-term legitimacy depends on fair competition, not strategic dominance at all costs. And opposition parties must urgently rebuild internal cohesion and resist forces, internal or external that seek to divide them.

Because in the end, democracy is not sustained by the strength of those in power alone, but by the presence of a credible, independent, and resilient opposition.

Ali Sabo is a political analyst, and he writes from Kano

The people of Fagge Local Government Area have praised the efforts, patriotism, and support shown by one of the area’s young men across different aspects of life, despite not holding any political office.

Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wakili has become prominent in Fagge for his service to the community. He is a politician who builds youth development from the grassroots by supporting self-reliance skills and access to education.

Because of his drive and passion to keep supporting the people, the community in Fagge is backing his political journey. They believe that if given the opportunity, he will further develop the area.

Wakili is well known in the political struggle. He has stood on his own, once led a political party, and contested for the House of Representatives in the last election.

Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wakili is now a member of the APC. He has a strong relationship and good rapport with politicians and the wider community in Fagge, right from the grassroots. That is why, as the 2027 elections approach, many believe he deserves their support.

Youths and elders, men and women in Fagge are urging APC delegates in the primaries to field credible people who stand with the community. They have strong confidence in Hon. Wakili for this election season.

The people of Fagge say Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wakili is with them and involved in their affairs. They believe that if he gets the mandate, he will not distance himself from them, unlike some past representatives who often ignored the needs of their constituents.

Following repeated calls from the people of Fagge, Hon. Haruna Kabiru Wakili has responded that, by God’s grace, he will contest for the House of Representatives under the APC.

He appealed to party members, elders, leaders, and executives of the APC in Fagge, both men and women, to give him their cooperation and support to secure victory.

Hon. Wakili also called on party stakeholders to confirm him as the consensus candidate, since it was the people of Fagge who asked him to run.

He added that even if it comes to a primary election, he is confident the people of Fagge will back him to clinch the APC ticket, and in the 2027 general election they will turn out to vote for him.

There are many people with noble intentions who genuinely desire the progress of society. Every day, they strive to serve and support their communities in various aspects of life with their personal resources, without holding any official position or title.

This is driven by patriotism, compassion, and the desire to see people especially the less privileged and upcoming youth — live a life of ease without hardship.

Many people can attest to the kind of community support and development efforts carried out by some individuals.

Ambassador Abdulrahman Mansur Mainasara Salga is one of the well-known figures in Dala Local Government Area and Kano State at large, recognized for his good character, generosity, and commitment to community development.

Because of his generosity and kindness to the people, many have encouraged him to join politics. They believe it would give him more confidence and opportunity to advance his goal of continuing to support the public. This is what motivated him to venture into politics.

He is a politician who believes in doing what is right. That is why he advocates for everything to be placed on the path of truth and justice. In the 2023 elections, he contested for the Federal House of Representatives seat in Dala Local Government. It is well known how he stood firm in ensuring fairness and justice within the party under which he contested, especially during the primary elections.

Everyone knows that Amb. Abdulrahman Mainasara has been at the forefront of serving the ADC since he joined. He made the party gain acceptance in Dala Local Government Area long before other political heavyweights in Kano joined the party, which has now become the major opposition party in the country.

The people of Dala Local Government are witnesses to how Hon. Abdulrahman Mainasara Salga devoted his time to building the ADC. He ensured it was accepted and established a strong foothold in Dala — a local government that serves as the political hub of Kano State. He served the party, opened offices for it, and mobilized support, in addition to his efforts in addressing community needs.

Indeed, the current political momentum in Dala, especially within the ADC, echoes the efforts of Ambassador Abdulrahman Salga Mainasara. He is seen by people in the area as the backbone of the party’s acceptance, and the most qualified to be put forward for the Federal House of Representatives seat in the local government. He is the only person who stood and nurtured the party to the level it has reached today.

Politicians and political observers have noted how many people are now joining the party. Many of them came in solely with the ambition to contest elections. For this reason, they are calling on party leaders and elders, such as Kwankwasiyya leader Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and other ADC stakeholders, to carefully consider fielding individuals who truly have the people’s development at heart during the primaries.

Consequently, in Dala Local Government, no one is seen by the community as more suitable, deserving, and credible to be fielded as the ADC candidate for the Federal House of Representatives than Ambassador Abdulrahman Mansur Mainasara Salga. He is the man who stood to ensure the party’s growth while also supporting community development. All the people of Dala would trust him in the 2027 elections.