Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has cautioned political leaders against attempts to entrench a one-party system, warning that history shows such ambitions often end in failure and disgrace.
In a post shared on X on Thursday, Shehu argued that democracy thrives on competition, inclusiveness, and the freedom of citizens to choose from multiple political platforms.
“True democracy is predicated on free and unimpeded citizens’ participation in regular elections and guaranteed adult franchise under multiple party platforms,” he stated.
He, however, lamented that some leaders abandon these principles once they attain power, manipulating institutions and processes 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,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with other countries, Shehu pointed to nations such as China, North Korea, Uganda, Eritrea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon, where opposition parties exist but wield little real influence.
“Opposition parties in such systems only exist at the convenience of the ruling party,” he noted.
Despite the apparent control such systems offer, Shehu warned that leaders who promote one-party dominance ultimately face political downfall.
“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 added that such leaders often exit power under unfavourable circumstances.
“Because willy-nilly, they will depart power or power will elude them, often with disgrace deserving no one’s sympathy or pity,” he warned.
Shehu further argued that one-party systems make it easier for citizens to assign responsibility for governance outcomes, since power is concentrated in a single political structure.
He also cautioned against actions such as suppressing opposition, manipulating electoral institutions, and using inducements or coercion to influence voters, describing them as warning signs of eventual political collapse.
“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 said.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates about political dominance in Nigeria, where the ruling party currently controls the majority of state governments across the country.
