By Mo Hanif
As Nigeria paused to commemorate Democracy Day on June 12, 2025—reflecting on the sacrifices of heroes like Chief MKO Abiola who paid the ultimate price for the nation’s democratic freedom—the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued a sobering warning to Nigerians: democracy, as hard-won as it is, may once again be under threat.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately undermining democratic institutions in what it described as a creeping bid to establish a despotic one-party regime.
According to the PDP, the APC-led administration has allegedly weaponized government resources to silence dissent, stifle press freedom, intimidate the opposition, manipulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and erode the independence of the judiciary. Ologunagba further accused the ruling party of deliberately worsening the economic hardship of the Nigerian people to maintain control through desperation and fear.
"This is not the democracy that Abiola died for,” the statement read. “This is not the Nigeria our forebears fought to reclaim from military dictatorship. What we are witnessing is a dangerous slide into authoritarianism—where elections are controlled, voices are silenced, and poverty is used as a tool of submission.”
The PDP urged Nigerians, civil society, the media, and the international community to stand firm in defense of pluralism, and to hold the government accountable in safeguarding free and fair elections, justice, and respect for the rule of law. The party emphasized that Democracy Day should not only be a moment of remembrance, but also one of renewed vigilance.
Analysts say the PDP’s statement reflects growing frustration among opposition ranks as Nigeria heads toward the 2027 general elections. With mounting defections, allegations of voter suppression, and increasing hardship across the country, the political atmosphere is becoming more charged. Some observers see the PDP’s accusations as a rallying cry to galvanize public sentiment and reposition the party as a defender of Nigeria’s democratic ideals.
Still, no concrete evidence has been presented to prove the existence of an orchestrated plan by the APC to enforce a one-party system. But for many Nigerians, the debate has reignited anxieties about the fragility of their democracy and the need for constant vigilance.
As one civil rights activist in Abuja put it: “Democracy isn’t just about voting every four years. It’s about institutions, freedom, fairness—and the courage to speak up when those things are under threat.”