Abuja:The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has raised concerns that the inclusion of opposition members in the ruling party’s presidential campaign council could undermine the unity of opposition parties and their ability to hold the government accountable.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Martins Egbeola, National Publicity Secretary of IPAC, expressed these concerns during an interview on Wednesday. He highlighted the involvement of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra (APGA), Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun (Accord), and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike (PDP) in the APC presidential campaign council as a significant issue.
Egbeola noted that while individuals such as Wike and Soludo have the right to accept such appointments, the move raises serious questions about the cohesion and credibility of opposition parties. He argued that participation of prominent opposition figures in ruling party activities blurs political lines and weakens public confidence in their ability to provide credible alternatives.
He further warned that this development poses a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, as it allows the ruling party to consolidate its influence while opposition parties struggle to remain effective. Egbeola emphasized the importance of a strong and vibrant opposition for a functioning democracy, cautioning against a political environment where opposition parties exist in name only without the capacity to challenge the government or propose meaningful alternatives.
Egbeola also lamented the lack of clear ideological distinctions among political parties nearly three decades into Nigeria’s democratic era. He stressed that political competition should reflect differences in vision and policies, rather than personal interests of political elites. The trend of fluid political loyalty and diminishing party affiliations, he warned, jeopardizes Nigeria’s multiparty system by potentially reducing it to mere appearances without a genuinely vibrant opposition.