Uzodinma warns democracy at risk without strong opposition after APC primary

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has said Nigeria's democracy is at risk if opposition parties do not create strong structures to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress before the 2027 general election.

Uzodinma made this statement in the state on Saturday during the APC presidential primary, where President Bola Tinubu was presented for a second-term ticket without any serious competition.

“It is no longer democracy if there is no opposition. I encourage opposition parties to work hard, do what the ruling party has done, and when, by the grace of God, it becomes their turn, they will elect their own president,” the governor said.

Just before this, Uzodinma claimed that the APC’s strong presence at the grassroots level had already decided the 2027 presidential race before voting even began.

“If you look at what is happening at the grassroots, how the grassroots has been stimulated, starting from the membership registration, which was done electronically, to the validation of members, you can see 35,000 human beings in just one ward in all its local governments.

“It means that if all our party members vote for President Bola Tinubu, he has already won the election,” he said.

The governor linked this turnout to the APC’s electronic membership registration drive, which he said has led to more people being involved, as shown by the large participation at the primary.

“The membership registration as conducted by the All Progressives Congress took care of grassroots inclusiveness, and today it is manifesting in the realities of our democratic situation in Nigeria,” Uzodinma said.

He also spoke highly of Tinubu, saying the president deserves a second term and has shown how politics should be done.

“President Bola Tinubu has done enough to deserve going back for a second time. I want to congratulate him for taking the time to do politics the way it should be done,” he said.