Presidency dismisses opposition’s threats to democracy allegations

The Presidency has dismissed claims by opposition figures that Nigeria’s multi-party democracy is under threat, describing the allegations as desperate distractions by politicians struggling to remain relevant.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said recent criticisms from opposition politicians amounted to “subterfuge and an empty search for scapegoats” by individuals unwilling to accept their political decline.

Onanuga said politicians defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had done so voluntarily, stressing that the Constitution guarantees freedom of association and the right to change political affiliation.

He argued that the wave of defections was driven by confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, not intimidation or coercion, and questioned whether democracy was ever considered endangered when politicians defected en masse to the Peoples Democratic Party between 2000 and 2015.

Onanuga rejected allegations that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was being used as a political tool against opposition figures, maintaining that the anti-graft agency operates independently.

Source: The Sun