The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has dismissed claims that Nigeria is sliding into a one-party system, asserting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) merely aims to be the dominating political force in the country.
Sule stressed that while the APC aspires for electoral dominance, it does not envision or desire the elimination of political opposition.
The governor stated this yesterday during an interview with newsmen after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“I don’t believe, by the slightest of imagination, that we are going to be a one-party state,” the governor said.
“If you look at it, no matter how successful we are, even America, for instance, has the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, but you still have the Green Party and so many other political parties that you don’t hear about. So, the same thing with Nigeria.”
According to Sule, APC’s objective is clear: to be the most successful and widely supported party in the country.
“No matter what happens, there are people who are going to be at another party. Actually, we don’t even want Nigeria to be a one-party state.
“We just want to be the dominant party. We just want to be the winning party. We just want to be the party. If we can win 90% of the votes, okay, that’s it.
“The other parties can win 10% of the votes. So, it’s not about… and I’m not being sarcastic. I’m just trying to be serious with you. There is no way we can be a one-party state. But every party wants to be the dominant party. Every party wants to win elections,” he explained.
The governor, who made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja at the Presidential Villa, said his visit was centred on discussions concerning the APC and developments in Nasarawa State.
Meanwhile, reacting to concerns from opposition figures about the increasing wave of defections to the APC, the governor said such movements were a response to the party’s performance under President Tinubu’s leadership.
“It’s a reflection of the performance of our party and the performance of Mr. President. Mr. President is carrying out a lot of reforms. We saw the first reforms,” Sule said.
He added that the desire to serve and improve lives is at the heart of every political party’s mission, and the APC is demonstrating that through its governance.
“Every party wants to be able to give back to society and to give back to the people. And I think that’s what our party is doing,” he stated.
Governor Sule also commended the ongoing reforms introduced by President Tinubu, noting that although reforms often bring challenges, they are essential and yielding positive outcomes.
“We saw one in the removal of the subsidy. We have seen one now in the power sector. In fact, one of the ones that interests me that we are doing is the one on skill acquisition and agriculture,” he noted.
“Nearly every reform will come with its ups and downs. But the advantages of some of these reforms far outweigh the disadvantages. So, as a result of that, people who are happy with what they are seeing are the people who are returning to the party.”
He concluded by expressing confidence in the APC’s direction, saying: “So, I think the party is doing well, and for that reason, the President is also doing well. And that is the reason why people are joining.”
