Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has warned political leaders against promoting a one-party system, cautioning that such a path often leads to failure and disgrace.
Shehu gave the warning in a post on X on Thursday, where he reflected on the risks and perceived advantages of one-party dominance in a democratic setting.
He stressed that genuine 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 said.
However, he noted that many leaders tend to erode these principles after attaining power in a bid to prolong their stay in 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 global examples, he referenced countries such as China, North Korea, Uganda, Chile, Eritrea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon, where opposition parties exist but wield little influence.
“Just recall China, North Korea, Uganda, Chile, Eritrea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Cameroon as a few examples where opposition parties don’t matter. They only exist at the convenience of the ruling party,” he said.
Despite this, Shehu maintained that leaders who push for one-party dominance will eventually confront its consequences.
“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 warned.
He added that such leaders often exit power under unfavourable conditions.
“Because willy-nilly, they will depart power or power will elude them, often with disgrace deserving no one’s sympathy or pity,” he said.
Shehu further argued that one-party systems make it easier for citizens to assign responsibility 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.
He added that such systems simplify the work of historians and political analysts.
“Indeed, they make it easier for historians and political scientists to document their regimes with ease as they alone dominated the political stage to everybody’s exclusion,” he said.
He also warned that leaders who undermine electoral processes are only setting themselves up for failure.
“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.” Mahdi said.
Currently, the All Progressives Congress (APC) controls 32 out of Nigeria’s 36 state governorship positions.