Prominent Nigerian public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has warned political leaders against fostering one-party dominance, cautioning that such systems inevitably collapse in failure and disgrace.
In a Thursday post on X, Shehu reflected on the perils of political monopoly, stressing that democracy thrives on active citizen participation and the presence of multiple political parties. “True democracy is predicated on free and unimpeded citizens’ participation in regular elections and guaranteed adult franchise under multiple party platforms,” he wrote.
He observed that many leaders, once in power, begin to erode these democratic principles to prolong their hold on office. “History has shown that some of the tenets of democracy become inconvenient to many leaders who have ascended to power, such that they dilute those tenets to serve their inordinate desire to cling to power till death,” Shehu added.
Citing examples such as China, North Korea, Uganda, Chile, Eritrea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon, he noted that while opposition parties may exist in these nations, they are often rendered powerless, serving only at the convenience of the ruling party.
Shehu warned that leaders who nurture one-party states will eventually confront the futility of their actions. “Leaders and politicians who cherish and nurture a one-party state will realise the futility of their democratic selfishness when it is too little too late,” he said. He predicted that such leaders typically exit power under humiliating circumstances, “often with disgrace deserving no one’s sympathy or pity.”
He also pointed out that one-party systems simplify accountability, making it easier for citizens to assign praise or blame for governance outcomes. “They have also made it easy for their citizens to know when and who to praise, condemn or hold responsible for good or evil in the country,” he noted. Additionally, he said, such systems ease the work of historians and political analysts in documenting political regimes.
Shehu further cautioned that leaders who intimidate opposition, manipulate electoral institutions, and deploy material inducement to skew elections are only hastening their own downfall. “All political leaders who shiver at the approach of elections, muscle opposition, coerce electoral institutions, chase away many, deploy material inducement and blackmail are simply making their crash and failure inevitable,” he stated. “That has been the verdict of history and there is no exception to that stubborn rule.”
His remarks come amid the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) holding 32 of Nigeria’s 36 state governorships, underscoring the growing concerns over political consolidation in the country’s democracy.
