Coalition will prevent one-party state, says Gbaja

Femi Gbajabiamila, President Bola Tinubu’s chief of staff, has described the opposition coalition as a “welcome development” that will prevent Nigeria from slipping into a one-party system.

Gbajabiamila spoke on Saturday after casting his vote in the LGA elections in Surulere area of Lagos.

“It is a welcome development with the coalition. It is not the first time we are seeing this,” he said.

”In every democracy, we must have some level of opposition, otherwise we will run into a one-party state. But I’m not sure where it would go.”

In recent months, opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have been hit by a gale of defections. This has triggered criticism from various stakeholders, who believe the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is steering Nigeria toward a one-party state.

However, in a quest to counter the APC’s dominance and challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections, opposition leaders formed a coalition and adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their platform.

The APC and several members of Tinubu’s cabinet have criticised the coalition, claiming they want to overthrow the president.

‘FREE AND FAIR, BUT LOW TURNOUT’

Gbajabiamila said the LGA election was free and fair, but marred by low voter turnout.

“So far, I have seen peace, quiet, and free and fair elections. A little bit disappointed about the turnout, which is where we need to work on. There is a general low turnout from what I have seen,” Gbajabiamila said.

“Perhaps because people don’t understand fully the importance of local government elections, which is even more important than any other election.

“We need to sensitise our people. We need to educate them about the importance of grassroots government. But so far, it’s peaceful and quiet. It is free and fair.”

Gbajabiamila added that no skirmishes were recorded during the election.