₦airaland Forum

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu yesterday told opposition elements in the country to lick their wounds and stop blaming him for the inability to manage affairs of their parties competently.


He also said politicians changing party affiliation was not new or peculiar to Nigeria, pointing out that in more advanced democracies, there were ready examples of notable politicians, statesmen and women who changed parties.

He stated further that the accusations that his administration was moving towards authoritarianism were baseless and exaggerated, adding that democracy in the country was not in any way being said to be under threat.

The President, who in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, wondered while the defection of some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, such as the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, should be celebrated, while the defection of some members of the opposition party should be condemned.


The statement, titled “Democracy strong and alive in Nigeria, ignore alarmists,’’ read: “We have read the alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders and emergency defenders of democracy over recent defections of key members of opposition parties into the governing All Progressives Congress.

“The seismic shift caused by Akwa Ibom governor, Umo Eno’s open declaration of support for President Bola Tinubu, the defection of the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the former vice presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and principal political actors in Delta and Rivers states certainly threw the opposition and their sympathisers into disarray.

“While the opposition elements are understandably heartbroken over the failure of their fabled grand coalition to gain traction, we find it disturbing that they resorted to peddling false allegations of promoting a one-party state against President Bola Tinubu, who is working very hard to reverse decades of economic mismanagement in our country.

“Contrary to the false claims in the propaganda materials in circulation across mainstream and social media, democracy is not under any threat in Nigeria. Accusations that the administration is moving towards authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated.

“We must add that no policy, official action or directive from the Presidency seeks to ‘dismantle democracy’ or ‘weaken opposition or create a one-party state.’


‘’Accusations of bribery, blackmail, and the weaponisation of state institutions only exist in the idle minds of politicians and their agents who have failed in their assigned role of opposition and are fishing for scapegoats.


‘’The opposition cannot blame President Tinubu and the governing APC for their poor organisation, indiscipline and gross incompetence in managing their affairs. It is certainly not part of President Tinubu’s job to organise or strengthen opposition parties.

“We find it curious that those who celebrated the defection of the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and the formation of a regional grand coalition with the sole aim of defeating President Tinubu in the 2027 election are the same people shedding crocodile tears over Nigeria’s so-called drift to a one-party state and authoritarianism.

“While the latter-day defenders of democracy raised no anxious voice against the disgruntled politicians cobbling an anti-Tinubu, anti-APC coalition along dangerous regional lines, even before INEC blows the whistle for party politicking, they are quick to ascribe the political shifts in some states to ‘bribery, blackmail, and coercion’ without any shred of evidence.

“Without any equivocation, freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom of choice are part of the cherished ideals of democracy. When politicians and citizens cannot freely join any association or political party of their choice or cannot openly express their views, democracy is imperiled.

“Those opposed to the Tinubu administration should understand that they can issue diatribes without fear, against the government because we practice a thriving democracy.

“It is hypocrisy writ large when opposition politicians and their collaborators in the ‘human rights’ movement desire that the party of the President should implode so they can gain electoral advantage and cry wolf when their wish does not materialise.

“We want to state that democracy is not threatened or undermined simply because politicians exercise their rights to freedom of association.

“Nigerians migrating to the APC and expressing support for Tinubu are doing so out of their free will, based on the belief that the reforms being executed are in the interest of Nigerians and the unborn generation.

“It is a gross disservice to democracy in itself for these emergency defenders of democracy to delegitimise the political choices of some Nigerians while upholding the choices of others to form a coalition against Tinubu and APC.”

The statement said under President Tinubu, democracy was strong, adding that the multiparty democratic system would continue to flourish unhindered.

“His administration remains resolutely committed to upholding and strengthening the democratic foundations upon which our Fourth Republic has stood since 1999

“Politicians changing party affiliation is not new or peculiar to Nigeria. In more advanced democracies, there are ready examples of notable politicians, statesmen and women who changed their parties.

“President Tinubu and the National Working Committee of the APC, under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, deserve commendation for making the ruling party viable and attractive to all Nigerians willing to participate in the democratic process.

“President Tinubu is an avowed democrat and a firm believer in multiparty democracy. His political activism and democratic credentials in galvanising and strengthening opposition platforms as a force that defeated a sitting President and the then ruling party attest to his credibility as a tested defender of multiparty democracy,” it said

It urged all Nigerians to join hands with the administration in protecting democracy by respecting the people’s choices and giving alarmists who draw their narratives from the pool of fiction a wide berth.

Source: https://vanguardngr.com/Tinubu-to-opposition-Don’t-blame-me-for-inability-to-manage-your-affairs

by this time next year, all major parties would have confirmed bola tinubu has their presidential candidate.

A democracy genius indeed

No speech yet on benue and Jos killings
This man is a loonatik

Okay na

PDP and una other Coalitions over to you

EDIT:

I don block-block all the APC bots and geng dem I still can't believe my timeline is so clean . . .

Sha let me go and unblock only LegendHero, he's still owing me like 3 IGarrR threads

Q

crocsjohn:
by this time next year, all major parties would have confirmed bola tinubu has their presidential candidate.

A democracy genius indeed

Liken him also to Pharoah.....
He got all votes but was hated by YAH's people...why...?
He did not let YAHs people go.
When people complain, it is that they keep to the Ordinances, not type of leader.
His rule will end....time tells all

Baba Agbalagba

Jagaban

In other words...make Una no even think of 2027
Baba dem let them know sey e dey seat till 2031

THAT'S CALLED SHUT UP DERE

When you bankroll the persons behind it.

Is Wike in APC or PDP?

Niok:
No speech yet on benue and Jos killings
This man is a loonatik

Political killings to tarnish the current administration nor be today all this things start

Niok:
No speech yet on benue and Jos killings
This man is a loonatik

are you the governor of benue or jos?,is the same thing happening in your own state,if not then why is it not?.before you come and be doing wailers politics you need to think.
Still you people shouting the tinubu is turning the country to a one party state.

Please just concentrate on fixing the Economy, Security etc

LP fails, na Tinubu, PDP fails, na Tinubu, ANPP falls, na Tinubu. When Tinubu was in opposition, did he blame the ruling PDP for any cracks in APC? Atiku that couldn't compromise on some conditions and overrated himself thinking northern votes is enough to make him the President miscalculated and had to pay for it, he's still suffering from it till date.

Pdp and lp didn't manage the crisis in their parties well especially PDP. PDP had all it took to win 2023 election but greed and stupidity made em lose it. They had to many chances to redeem and change the tide.

[color=#1986BC]The soul of the opposition is Peter Obi, all the defections in the world will not assuage his burgeoning influence...Tinubu knows it, Atiku knows it, El Rufai, knows it, Wike knows it..... That's why Everyone is calm..[/color]

Lol...more like, "don't blame me for being brutal!"
As the saying goes, a bad work-man(opposition) always quarrels with his tools.
There must be a fall guy...

Terrible and horrible Presidiot

The opposition has never been this disorganized since 1999.

crocsjohn:
by this time next year, all major parties would have confirmed bola tinubu has their presidential candidate.

A democracy genius indeed

You can say that again.

iichidodo:
[color=#1986BC]The soul of the opposition is Peter Obi, all the defections in the world will not assuage his burgeoning influence...Tinubu knows it, Atiku knows it, El Rufai, knows it, Wike knows it..... That's why Everyone is calm..[/color]

The Agulu fraud don cast. He will struggle to get half the number of votes he got in the last election

iichidodo:
[color=#1986BC We have all heard that story before even worse ... Remember " 4 people tweeting in a room"....e go shock you again.[/]

2027 is not far. You all will be shouting stolen mandate again

Yeah, he's right about that. Their inability to manage their affair was also the reason why Tinubu won the presidential election in 2023.

Always majoring on minor

voltron14:

Remove your sunglasses 😎 to see very well

Niok:
No speech yet on benue and Jos killings
This man is a loonatik

He's a bumbling yediot

2027 presidential election would be between APC and Nigerians... Let's forget about parties for now...

Says the Abacha in Agbada.

People that can't mange crisis in their internal political party successfully wants us to vote for them as our leaders to manage a whole NIgeria