PDP’s internal crisis, not APC, driving one-party state fears - Ex-VON DG Okechukwu
…warns opposition against ‘scaremongering’, defends electoral act 2026 A former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu, has attributed concerns about an
…warns opposition against ‘scaremongering’, defends electoral act 2026
A former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu, has attributed concerns about an emerging one-party state in Nigeria to the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party.
Speaking with journalists in Enugu over the weekend, Okechukwu rejected claims that the ruling party is pursuing a strategy to entrench itself as the country’s sole dominant political force. He maintained that the opposition’s waning influence stems primarily from its internal disintegration.
According to him, the perception of a looming one-party state is rooted in the PDP’s fragmentation following what he described as its breach of the long-standing zoning and rotation convention during the 2022 presidential primary.
Okechukwu argued that the zoning and rotation principle has functioned as a stabilising mechanism in the Fourth Republic, facilitating the orderly transfer of presidential power between the North and the South. He contended that the abandonment of this arrangement undermined the PDP’s internal cohesion and contributed to its current challenges.
"Rather than accuse the APC of anti-democratic tendencies, opposition leaders should reflect on their own role in weakening their party structures," he said.
He further criticised what he described as the flawed assumption by some PDP leaders that northern voters could be treated as a monolithic bloc “in one dormitory to be hauled at will to the polling booth,” warning that such thinking underestimates the sophistication of the electorate.
The APC stalwart also cautioned opposition parties against sustained scaremongering and attempts to demonise Nigeria’s democracy, saying such rhetoric discourages voter participation and undermines public confidence in democratic institutions.
“Democracy becomes the ultimate casualty when political actors deploy negative and alarmist narratives that dampen citizens’ confidence in the electoral process,” he said.
Okechukwu urged opposition leaders to emulate the strategic political organisation demonstrated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he credited with investing time and resources in nationwide mobilisation of supporters.
He noted that Tinubu showed party loyalty and adherence to internal democracy by stepping aside for former President Muhammadu Buhari from the outset, in obedience to the zoning convention.
On the proposed Electoral Act 2026, Okechukwu acknowledged that the legislation may have shortcomings but insisted that it represents progress compared to the repealed Electoral Act 2022.
He explained that while the 2022 Act required presiding officers to transfer results “in a manner as prescribed by INEC,” it did not expressly mandate electronic transmission.
By contrast, he said, the 2026 Act mandates electronic transmission of polling unit results to the IReV portal after Form EC8A is signed, with a fallback provision making the hand-signed Form EC8A the primary legal source where transmission fails due to communication challenges.
Okechukwu maintained that under the 2022 regime, Nigeria witnessed the defeat of nine sitting governors in their Senate bids — an unprecedented development in the Fourth Republic — which he cited as evidence that the electoral framework can still produce competitive outcomes.
“My dear compatriots, we are not in Cameroon or Uganda please,” he said, stressing that Nigeria’s democracy remains resilient despite its imperfections.
He concluded that democracy is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, urging opposition leaders to prioritise organisation, mobilisation and respect for established conventions instead of “demonising” the system.
“Democracy takes more than legislation; it requires patriotism, patience, commitment, integrity, and incremental institutional strengthening,” Okechukwu submitted.
