Former President of the Senate Bukola Saraki has said that President Bola Tinubu spoke well for saying that he did not favour Nigeria drifting into a one -party situation.
Tinubu while addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, had debunked the claims that his administration was weakening opposition parties with the aim of turning Nigeria into a one-party state. He had however, said, it was not his responsibility to help the opposition parties to “set their house in order.”
He said, “To those who ring the alarm that the APC is intent on a one-party state, I offer you a most personal promise. While your alarm may be as a result of
your panic, it rings in error. At no time in the past, nor any instance in the present, and at no future juncture shall I view the notion of a one-party state
as good for Nigeria. I have never attempted to alter any political party registration with INEC. Equally, my friends, we cannot blame anybody
seeking to bail out of a sinking ship even without a life jacket.
“Look at my political history. I would be the last person to advocate such a scheme. In 2003, when the then-governing party tried to sweep the nation
clean of political opposition through plot and manipulation, I was the last of the progressive governors standing in my region.
“In all their numbers and false grandeur, they boasted of ruling, not governing, Nigeria for the next half century or more. Where are they now?
” Yet, I stood alone. My allies had been induced into defeat. My adversaries held all the cards that mortal man could carry. Even with all of
that, they could not control our national destiny because fate is written from above. A greater power did not want Nigeria to become a one-party state
back then. Nigeria will not become such a state now.
“The failed effort to create a one-party state placed progressive political forces on a trajectory to form the APC. It put me on the trajectory which has brought me before you today. I dare not do such a favour to any political adversary by repeating the same mistake of political overreach.
“A one-party state is not in the offing. Nor should it ever be. That said, we would be guilty of political malpractice if we closed the door on those from
other parties who now seek to join the APC and I sincerely welcome our party’s newest members from Delta and Akwa Ibom States led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Pastor Umo Eno and other members of this National
Assembly.
“Political parties fearful of members leaving may be better served by examining their internal processes and affairs rather than fearfully conjuring
up demons that do not exist. For me, I would say try your best to put your house in order. I will not help you do so. It is, indeed, a pleasure to witness
you in such disarray.
“We must welcome and accept the diversity and number of political parties just as we welcome and embrace the diversity of our population. Our
efforts must never be to eliminate political competition but to make that competition salutary to the national well-being by working across the political
aisle whenever possible.”
Saraki in his reaction, said, “I think we must take him at his words. I mean, he spoke well, saying that he’s not for a one-party state. So we must take him at his word, and he supports a multi-party. So we are all on the same page.
“That’s why we are going around and bringing everybody to come around. So those who say they are under pressure, there is no pressure anymore. So, we’re all for multi party, and everybody should get their house in order, as he said, he’s not going to help, us so we are going to sort our own house again.”
