The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, has warned that Nigeria is steadily drifting toward a one-party state, accusing the current administration under President Bola Tinubu of using financial inducements to weaken opposition and consolidate power.
In a strongly worded homily delivered on Friday during the burial Mass for the late Senator Okey Ezeah in Igbo Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, Bishop Onah described the times as "very, very bad" for the nation, expressing personal fear over the erosion of multiparty democracy.
He contrasted the governing styles of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu:Under Buhari, he said, the approach was one of intimidation that "cowed everybody into obedience and silence," effectively reducing opposition through fear.
In contrast, the present administration, he claimed, is "pecuniarily cajoling" using money and financial incentives to draw political actors into compliance, leading to the collapse of other parties into one dominant force.
Bishop Onah remarked: “I said this in January 2024 not claiming to be a prophet or a social analyst, but from common sense that whereas the previous government on the national level intimidated everybody and cowed everybody to obedience and silence. It reduced opposition.
"The present one will pecuniarily cajole everybody into acquiescence. Gradually, all the parties, all the other parties, are collapsing into one party.”
The bishop criticized Nigeria's political landscape more broadly, noting that parties lack genuine ideological foundations and function mainly as "platforms for getting into power, remaining in power, having access to public funds," and in some cases, avoiding prosecution for corruption.
He highlighted the frequent defection of politicians between parties such as from PDP to APC or others without consequences, likening them to "fluid and gas between tanks without return valve."
He expressed deeper concern over the collapse of institutional checks and balances, asserting that Nigeria no longer has three separate arms of government: “The executive has sucked up both the judiciary and the legislature.”
He challenged legislators present to prove him wrong by blocking excessive borrowing, pushing for meaningful electoral reforms to ensure votes count, or opposing executive decisions.
Bishop Onah stressed that a one-party dominance would not be the core issue if strong checks and balances remained in place, but warned that the current concentration of power in the executive poses a serious threat to democratic governance.
The bishop's comments come amid ongoing debates about political defections, party weakening, and the influence of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria's political space.
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