Nigeria is a land where opposition parties find their loudest voice only after leaving power. The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) recently warned that the country is “inching daily to full-blown dictatorship” while insecurity, hunger, and poverty worsen. Strong words, no doubt. But before Nigerians clap in agreement, it’s worth asking: is this about the people, or about PDP’s sudden love for democracy now that they are out of Aso Rock?
PDP’s Warning Shot
The statement signed by Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, on behalf of Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed, was heavy with alarm. It claimed Nigerians “get disconnected from the constituted services they deserve” and accused the ruling party of “failed economic policies resulting in intolerable hunger, poverty and unemployment.” It even went as far as warning of “a compromised judicial system” and creeping dictatorship.
On the surface, PDP sounds like the voice of reason. Who can deny that insecurity is still a daily nightmare? Who can argue that food inflation has pushed more families below survival level? Nigerians know this pain too well, no party manifesto needed.
However, PDP is acting like an innocent preacher who has never sinned. For sixteen years, the same PDP strutted across Abuja while corruption scandals, impunity, and misrule were the order of the day. Many of the men shouting “dictatorship” today once enjoyed unchecked power when the shoe was on the other foot. Nigerians have not forgotten.
APC’s Shrinking Defenses
On the other hand, the ruling APC can’t pretend that PDP’s warning is pure fiction. The complaints of hunger, unemployment, and distrust in the judiciary are not inventions. Nigerians are watching their naira shrink daily, while food prices soar to the skies. Insecurity has become routine news. The image of a government drifting, more interested in silencing critics than fixing the economy, is not far-fetched.
Even if PDP is chasing clout, their words sting because they reflect real frustrations. When people say Nigeria feels like a democracy only on paper, they are not exaggerating. Freedom of speech is tolerated but constantly under threat, and opposition voices often find themselves bullied rather than engaged.
Hypocrisy Meets Reality
This is where the irony lies. PDP calls out dictatorship, but their track record is anything but clean. APC, on its part, came to power with promises of change and integrity, but today carries the same stains of arrogance, economic hardship, and disregard for the common man.
Neither party has earned the moral authority to lecture Nigerians about democracy. PDP is desperate to stay relevant, so it dresses up as the guardian of freedom. APC clings to power with little to show for it, while citizens remain trapped between two failing options.
Nigerians Deserve More
What both parties forget is that ordinary Nigerians are not chess pieces. People want food on their tables, jobs that pay, and security to sleep at night. They don’t care for PDP’s sanctimonious lectures or APC’s endless excuses. If democracy is collapsing, it is because both parties, at different times, have weakened the very institutions that should protect the people.
So, is PDP right about Nigeria’s march to dictatorship? Maybe partly. But they are the wrong messengers. Nigerians should not be fooled into thinking their sudden concern is born out of love for the masses. It looks more like an attempt to score points in the political game.
