APC rejects claims Nigeria is becoming one-party state

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rejected suggestions that Nigeria is sliding into a one-party state, saying recent defections to the party reflect individual choices rather than any plan to extinguish opposition. The comments were made by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka during a year-end television interview.

Morka spoke on Channels Television’s programme “2025 in Retrospect: Charting a Pathway to 2026”, where he characterised the movement of governors, lawmakers and other politicians into the APC as a routine feature of democratic politics. “There is no such desire, let alone intent to turn Nigeria into one party state,” he said, stressing that the APC respects the role of opposition parties in a healthy democracy.

Nigeria one-party state debate

Concerns have risen in recent months as the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other smaller parties have seen a significant depletion in membership. High-profile defections by state governors and federal lawmakers have fuelled speculation that the ruling party is consolidating control.

Morka rejected the suggestion that these moves signal an organised effort to eliminate opposition. He described defections as permissible actions under Nigeria’s constitutional order and warned against portraying democratic change as a threat. “What you are seeing is just the play of democracy,” he said, adding that the country’s legal framework makes a one-party system virtually impossible to enact.

The APC official argued that even if some individuals within the party were inclined towards a one-party model, such an outcome could not be realised within the current constitutional and legal arrangements. He urged citizens and political observers to recognise the distinction between the voluntary movement of politicians and an institutional erosion of pluralism.

Political analysts say defections are a common feature of Nigerian politics, particularly in the run-up to major elections. The Channels Television programme’s timing, framed as a review of 2025 and a look ahead to 2026, underscored the broader context: parties and politicians are positioning themselves ahead of the next general cycle.

Critics of the defections have warned that the concentration of power within a single party could weaken opposition oversight and reduce policy competition. Supporters of the APC counter that absorbing experienced administrators and legislators can deliver continuity and stability, particularly when party platforms align on governance priorities.

As the debate continues, the central questions for voters will be whether party switches reflect genuine shifts in political conviction or opportunism, and whether institutional checks remain robust enough to preserve competitive politics. For now, the APC’s official line remains that defections are an expression of democratic choice, not a prelude to one-party rule.