Former President Goodluck Jonathan has issued a stern warning towards any makes an attempt to control the political system in Nigeria in the direction of a one-party state, stating that such actions would suffocate the nation and will probably result in confusion and anarchy.
Jonathan made this assertion in Abuja on Wednesday through the Memorial Lecture and Day of Tribute for the late Chief Edwin Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Data and South-South chief. He expressed concern in regards to the ongoing political shifts, significantly the mass defections from opposition events—Individuals’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)—to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The previous President acknowledged that whereas a one-party state was utilized by some leaders, comparable to Julius Nyerere in Tanzania, to unite the nation, such a system should observe a scientific and procedural method. He emphasised that the imposition of such a system by way of political manipulation could be detrimental to Nigeria’s democracy.
“If a one-party state is to be fascinating for Nigeria, the method have to be thorough, systemic, and never the results of political manipulation,” Jonathan mentioned. “Any try and impose such a system by way of the again door will solely suffocate the nation.”
READ ALSO: Jonathan Pays Tribute to Yar’Adua, 15 Years After Late President’s Passing
In his tribute to Chief Clark, whom he described as a father determine, Jonathan mirrored on Clark’s legacy of braveness, knowledge, and unmatched reminiscence. He remarked that changing Clark could be not possible as a result of his distinctive persona and his fearless readiness to confront any challenges.
Jonathan’s feedback come at a time when defections inside the opposition events are elevating considerations in regards to the state of Nigeria’s political panorama.
The previous President known as for a extra cautious, deliberate method to any political shifts within the nation, warning that the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy should not be compromised.