The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of pushing Nigeria into full-blown authoritarianism, citing a recent assessment by the Human Rights Foundation which reportedly classified the country as an authoritarian regime.
The opposition party said the assessment was not a surprise but rather an international confirmation of what Nigerians had allegedly been experiencing under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Interim National Working Committee through the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP alleged that democratic institutions had been weakened, dissent suppressed and constitutional checks and balances eroded under the Tinubu administration.
The party said the Human Rights Foundation’s assessment, published on its Tyranny Tracker platform, showed that Nigeria performed poorly across critical indicators used to measure democratic governance.
According to the PDP, the findings pointed to what it described as a “full descent into authoritarianism”, which it said was fundamentally incompatible with democratic principles.
The party said the assessment examined issues including institutional checks and balances, freedom of expression, treatment of political opposition and the credibility of elections.
It argued that the conditions identified in the report were consistent with recognised characteristics of authoritarian systems, including concentration of power, suppression of dissent, attacks against opponents, weak institutional safeguards and elections that fail to adequately reflect the will of the people.
“It does not take any high degree of intelligence for anybody to agree with the report, because all the indicators of authoritarianism are present in Nigeria under this Tinubu regime,” the PDP said.
The opposition party also accused government officials of contributing to what it described as a shrinking civic space, citing recent criticisms directed at Catholic clerics, including Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, over their comments on national affairs.
The PDP argued that attacks against religious leaders for expressing views on issues affecting the country amounted to evidence of declining tolerance for dissent and criticism.
“What did the cleric say that is not the lived experience of Nigerians, except, of course, the few who are isolated from reality and their paid human megaphones?” the party asked.
The party also launched a fresh attack on the National Assembly, accusing lawmakers of failing to provide effective oversight of the executive arm of government.
According to the PDP, the legislature had failed to adequately scrutinise the administration’s performance and had instead continued to commend the government despite what the opposition described as serious shortcomings in budget implementation.
“How could an administration fail to execute the Appropriation Act for three years, and yet that administration gets commendation, instead of condemnation, from the legislature?” the party questioned.
It further alleged that the National Assembly had, on critical occasions, disregarded constitutional provisions and its own standing rules, arguing that a legislature unable or unwilling to enforce its own rules could not effectively hold the executive accountable.
The PDP also raised an alarm over the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections, alleging that actions by the ruling APC and state institutions were creating conditions capable of undermining the credibility of the polls.
The opposition party claimed that the 2027 elections risked becoming “a mere formality” rather than a genuine contest capable of reflecting the wishes of Nigerian voters.
It consequently called on President Tinubu and the APC administration to reduce political tensions and halt what it described as the deployment of government institutions against opposition politicians and perceived political opponents.
The PDP specifically accused the administration of allegedly “weaponising” security agencies, while also expressing concern over what it called increasing signs of partisanship by the electoral umpire and the use of inflammatory political rhetoric.
“The continuous asphyxiation of the opposition, clear weaponisation of security agencies against real and perceived opponents, increasing signs of partisanship by the electoral umpire, and reckless deployment of combustible political rhetoric by the President and his handlers should cease,” the party said.
The PDP warned President Tinubu that the stakes in the 2027 presidential election would extend beyond the struggle for political power, arguing that the outcome would have consequences for the country’s democratic stability.
“The President must realise that there are two contests embedded in the 2027 Presidential elections — the presidency and the country,” the party said.
“An attempt to focus on winning the former at all costs may result in the loss of the latter; and only a free, fair, credible and peaceful contest can guarantee a win for both coveted prizes.”
The opposition party urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding accountability from elected officials at all levels.
It maintained that accountability remained one of the fundamental protections provided by democracy and called on citizens not to abandon their responsibility to scrutinise those entrusted with public office.