“I Offer You A Most Personal Promise” – Tinubu Denies Plot To Create One-Party State Amid Opposition Defections Unini Chioma

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejected widespread concerns that his administration is working towards transforming Nigeria into a one-party state, asserting that such a development would harm the nation’s democratic health.

Speaking during a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja on Thursday—part of the 2025 Democracy Day celebrations—Tinubu tackled rising fears sparked by a surge of defections from opposition parties into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Drawing from his past as an opposition governor in Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to a robust multiparty system. He dismissed claims of a covert push toward political monopoly, stating:
“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 a result of your panic, it rings an error.”

He emphasized that the APC would continue to welcome defectors but insisted that this does not amount to a strategy to wipe out the opposition:
“At no time in the past, nor any instance in the present, and at no future junction shall I view the notion of a one-party state as good for Nigeria.”

Delivering a biting remark aimed at opposition disunity, Tinubu added with a smirk:
“Party defections: I would not say try your best to put your house in order. I would not help you to do so either. It is indeed a pleasure to witness you in such a disarray.”

His comments appear calculated to quell mounting political anxiety while simultaneously taunting his fragmented rivals—underscoring both confidence and a clear advantage ahead of future electoral cycles.