From Abacha to Tinubu: Is Nigeria’s Opposition Being Silenced Again?

In 1998 under General Abacha, Nigeria had five registered parties but no real opposition. All endorsed one candidate, leaving voters without a genuine choice. Today under President Tinubu, we still see multiple parties on paper. In practice, however, opposition figures are defecting, parties face endless internal crises, and political alignments limit dissent. You can’t claim healthy democracy when alternative voices struggle to stay visible and effective. The more power concentrates on one side, the weaker the other becomes—an eerie echo of forced consensus in the past. With the 2027 elections approaching, Nigerians must ask: Are we building a stronger democracy, or quietly surrendering it?

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