On Friday, Kola Ologbondiyan, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made a startling assertion: democracy in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu is even more constricted than it was during military rule. This statement was made via a post on the social media platform X.
Ologbondiyan, who previously served as the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that Nigeria has turned into a setting of sheer absurdity during the 11-year reign of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He claimed that the celebration of Democracy Day in 2026 perfectly illustrates this decline.
In his post, Ologbondiyan directed criticism at President Tinubu, noting that while Tinubu preaches democratic values, the actual democratic space has shrunk to a degree not seen even under military administrations. He pointed to the APC’s own internal processes, where the emergence of party candidates remains unresolved weeks after primaries.
He further alleged that other political parties are uncertain about their electoral status, with elections just months away. According to Ologbondiyan, the only certainty in the political landscape is that Tinubu will contest the 2027 presidential election, while candidates from other parties are deliberately bogged down by internal conflicts.
Describing this as a contradiction, Ologbondiyan said it is impossible to champion democracy while simultaneously closing the democratic space. He concluded by wishing a Happy Democracy Day to Nigerians who, though silent now, are determined to remove the APC from power come 2027.