Farouk Aliyu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former House of Representatives member, has rejected the notion that the APC is working toward turning Nigeria into a one-party state, stating clearly that such an idea is not in the best interest of the country’s democracy.
Aliyu distanced the party from remarks made by APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, who recently expressed admiration for the idea of a one-party state and suggested the APC was prepared to assume that role.
“We in the APC do not support a one-party state. Ganduje’s statement is his personal opinion, and while he is our leader, it does not reflect the views of the party as a whole,”;; Aliyu stated in an interview with Arise News.
He went further to emphasize the potential harm of such political dominance:
“A one-party state is certainly not the best path forward for our democracy. While Ganduje is entitled to his opinion, it does not represent the party’s stance.”;;
Addressing the wave of defections from opposition parties—most notably the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—Aliyu denied that the APC was orchestrating these movements, noting that individuals joining the ruling party did so of their own volition.
“What is our fault if anybody wants to join APC?”;; he asked. “We have been the opposition for a while until we became the ruling party.”;;
He added:
“So if the members of the PDP or other parties decide to join us, we will not stop them. You know, so that’s their business. But honestly, having everybody joining, you know, APC is no good for democracy.”;;
Aliyu stressed that, despite increasing party membership, the true decision-making power remains with the electorate:
“The people will decide who governs them. Whether 90% of Nigerians decide to join APC in terms of numbers, when it comes to voting, the people will decide whom to go with.”;;
“So if the Nigerian public don’t accept this gale of movement, they have the right to decide when the election comes.”;;
On the recent high-profile defection of former APC chieftain Nasir El-Rufai to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Aliyu questioned El-Rufai’s motivations.
“My honest opinion is that [his reasons are] selfish and personal. All this talking about Tinubu now, the party not being there and all the party has walked away from its ideals, is simply because he’s not a minister today,”;; Aliyu claimed.
He added:
“If he were a minister, he wouldn’t be talking like this... He was promised ministerial appointment before Tinubu was elected and he didn’t get it so he’s not taking it lightly. Nevertheless, he’s entitled to his personal opinion.”;;
Aliyu also addressed emerging coalition talks between APC’s political rivals, PDP and Labour Party, reportedly led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate Peter Obi. According to Aliyu, the APC is monitoring these developments and remains confident in its political strength.
“We don’t ignore anybody. (The opposition) are Nigerians with the right (to oppose us). We don’t think they are making noise... we are watching them and working behind the scenes to ensure that they do not rear their heads and defeat us as a party. It’s all part of democracy. They can continue to collate while we continue to disband them.”;;
