A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of fuelling a one-party state by way of what he described as anti-democratic actions and private ambition.
In a press assertion dated 2 April 2026, Okechukwu mentioned Atiku’s current declaration “Am not stepping apart,” has “conclusively vindicated” claims that the previous presidential candidate is undermining democratic opposition in Nigeria.
Okechukwu questioned Atiku’s absence from a political gathering in Kano, the place the African Democratic Congress welcomed Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya motion into its fold.
He mentioned, “Is there any higher technique to gasoline One Get together State than His Excellency Atiku Abubakar’s embarrassing absence from the Kano grand ceremony by ADC’s management, who welcomed Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and by extension the Kwankwasiyya motion into their fold; at a time when my nice occasion, the APC is populating its fold?”
Okechukwu additionally criticised Atiku for accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of selling a one-party state, describing such claims as contradictory.
He mentioned Atiku “not solely covertly opposed the defection of a Massive Fish like Kwankwaso to ADC, however issued the sinister assertion that he’s not stepping apart, when no person requested him?”
The APC chieftain additional recalled what he described as comparable behaviour throughout the 2023 presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Get together, arguing that it contributed to inner instability throughout the occasion.
Based on him, “the loud, repeated allegations of APC setting up so-call one ‘one-party state’ are nothing however a smokescreen to cowl the opposition’s deep-seated anti-democratic tendency, disunity, and lack of strategic path.”
He added, “Let or not it’s said with out ambiguity — we’re vindicated. Atiku’s declaration has laid naked the true downside of a foremost opposition held hostage by private ambition, the place nobody is prepared to neither yield floor for the collective good nor obey the zoning conference.”
Okechukwu mentioned Atiku’s stance comes at a time when Nigerians count on a stronger and extra united opposition able to offering credible options forward of the 2027 elections.
“Methinks that as an octogenarian and elder statesman, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar ought to assist construct the consensus of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso presidential ticket to make 2027 presidential election sturdy, credible, difficult and shining instance to the globally neighborhood, as a substitute of putting our democracy in unnecessery north-south debacle,” he mentioned.
He maintained that the dominance of the APC is pushed not simply by incumbency however by the opposition’s inner divisions.
“For the avoidance of doubt… the power of the APC lies not merely in incumbency, however within the incapacity of opposition events to place their acts collectively and prioritize nationwide curiosity over particular person ambition,” Okechukwu said.
He concluded that “the true hazard to Nigeria’s democracy is just not dominance by one occasion, however the reckless dysfunction of those that ought to present steadiness.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Times Nigeria