22 February, 2026
by Mohammed Bello Doka
Imagine a battlefield where the enemy charges forward united, disciplined, and ruthless—while the defenders squabble over scraps, stabbing each other in the back as the fortress crumbles. That's not a war scene from history; that's the FCT Area Council Elections on February 21, 2026—a humiliating spectacle that exposed Nigeria's opposition as a fractured farce, handing the All Progressives Congress (APC) a near-total victory on a silver platter. With APC sweeping at least five of the six councils amid reports of a clean 6/6 rout in some tallies, this wasn't just an election loss; it was a national tragedy, a gut-wrenching betrayal of millions of Nigerians gasping for relief from soaring poverty, insecurity, and economic despair under President Bola Tinubu's iron grip.
The opposition's fragmentation wasn't subtle—it was a self-inflicted wound that bled votes everywhere. In polling unit after polling unit across Abuja Municipal (AMAC) and beyond, parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and others cannibalized each other. Take PU015 in Karshi II/Market Square IV: APC grabbed 24 votes, but NNPP snagged 25, PDP 8, ADC 5, and SDP 6—opposition votes scattered like confetti, allowing APC to dominate the broader tally. Or PU025 in Sabon Kasuwa/NURTW Office: PDP edged with 25, APC 23, but NNPP (7), APGA (4), and ADC (1) diluted the anti-APC bloc. This vote-splitting epidemic wasn't coincidence; it was chaos born of ego-driven rivalries, turning potential upsets into APC landslides. Low turnout—barely 10-50 votes in units with hundreds registered—amplified the disaster, as fragmented opposition failed to mobilize the masses weary of Tinubu's reforms that have driven inflation to crippling highs and poverty to affect over 133 million Nigerians.
Nowhere was this disarray more evident than in the opposition's pathetic struggle with party agents. PDP might boast agents in urban strongholds like parts of AMAC, but they vanished in rural Kwali or Abaji, leaving ballots vulnerable to alleged manipulations. ADC, hyped as a fresh force, plugged gaps in Bwari but left holes in Gwagwalada where PDP had coverage—yet PDP lacked where ADC shone. This patchwork left entire polling units unguarded, ripe for vote-buying reports of ₦5,000 handouts and BVAS machine tampering allegations that opposition leaders decried but couldn't prevent. It's a damning indictment: while APC deployed agents like a well-oiled machine, backed by national heavyweights like Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the opposition's infighting meant no unified surveillance, no shared intelligence, just isolated cries of foul play echoing into the void.
Oh, what a united opposition could have unleashed! Picture pooled resources funding blockbuster campaigns that blanketed airwaves with exposés on Tinubu's failures—rising kidnappings claiming over 10,000 lives since 2023, or the extravagant lifestyles of political elites amid mass hunger. Imagine coordinated media advocacy, where PDP's veteran networks, ADC's youthful energy, and Labour Party (LP)'s grassroots fire merged into a relentless truth-telling machine, amplifying stories of families skipping meals while cronies feast. Shared war chests could have trained thousands of agents, ensuring every unit was fortified against rigging. Voter mobilization? A juggernaut, turning apathy into a tidal wave of change. Instead, we got egos clashing: PDP's endless court battles over leadership, LP's Peter Obi dithering on coalitions amid 2027 ambitions, and ADC's internal squabbles over structure collapses to rivals. This isn't strategy; it's suicide.
Nigerians aren't just watching—they're suffering, their hearts breaking under a government that promised renewal but delivered despair. From Abuja's bustling markets to rural hamlets, families cry out for salvation from policies that removed fuel subsidies without cushions, spiking costs and fueling protests met with brutal crackdowns. We're a nation on the brink, with 75.5% of rural dwellers in poverty, begging for an opposition to champion their pain. Yet, these so-called leaders prioritize personal grudges over the people's plight, dooming us to more agony.
Worse, this wipeout signals Nigeria's terrifying slide into a one-party state, where APC's dominance chokes democracy's breath. Under Tinubu, APC now controls 28-30 governors, fueled by a gale of defections from PDP, LP, and others—governors from Enugu and Bayelsa jumping ship, lawmakers fleeing fractured parties. Opposition ranks hollowed out, with PDP reduced to infighting factions, LP crippled by resignations, and NNPP in leadership turmoil. Globally, this mirrors ominous patterns: Russia under Vladimir Putin started as a dominant-party system but morphed into authoritarianism, stifling rivals through rigged elections and poisonings. Venezuela's Hugo Chávez unified power, leading to Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship amid economic ruin and suppressed protests. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe turned ZANU-PF dominance into decades of tyranny, refusing to cede power even after electoral defeats. One-party states don't just happen—they erode freedoms, breeding dictators who crush dissent to cling to thrones.
And make no mistake: dictatorships always begin by suppressing voices and favoring friends. Tinubu's regime is already there, weaponizing the Cybercrimes Act to arrest critics, journalists, and activists—ignoring ECOWAS Court orders to repeal repressive sections. Protests against economic hardship? Met with tear gas and detentions, as seen in Abuja and Lagos on Independence Day 2024. Dissenters like Omoyele Sowore face trumped-up charges, while invasions of labor headquarters signal a war on unions. Meanwhile, allies feast: crony appointments in key sectors, unchecked corruption amid underfunded services, and policies that enrich elites while Nigerians starve. This isn't governance—it's a slide into autocracy, where friends plunder and foes are silenced.
At the heart of this catastrophe? Opposition leaders' bloated egos, dooming them to downfall. PDP's Atiku Abubakar vs. Wike feud fractured the party post-2023, triggering expulsions and defections that gutted its base. LP's Obi hesitates on ADC coalitions, prioritizing his 2027 run over unity, splintering the front with shouts of Obi or nothing. ADC denies crises but faces sabotage claims and structure collapses, all ego-fueled chaos. History screams warnings: Nigeria's past opposition betrayals, like PDP's 2015 implosion from internal treachery, echo today. Ego isn't leadership—it's the poison that hands power to tyrants.
Nigeria deserves better than this heartbreaking betrayal. If opposition leaders don't swallow their pride, unite, and fight like our lives depend on it—because they do—2027 won't be a contest; it'll be a coronation. Wake up, before it's too late. The people's tears demand action, not excuses.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
Abuja Network News
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Opinion