Catholic Bishops Raise Alarm, Say Nigeria Moving Towards One-party State

Catholic Bishops in Nigeria on Friday raised alarm that Nigeria is gradually moving towards a one-party state, describing the development as the suppression of opposition voices.
The bishops expressed this concern in a communiqué issued at the end of the plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria held in Akwa Ibom State, which ended on Friday.
The communiqué was signed by the Archbishop of Owerri and President, CBCN, Lucius Ugorji; and Bishop of Uromi and Secretary, CBCN, Donatus Ogun.
The bishops cautioned politicians against pushing the nation towards a one-party state which they argued is unhealthy for democracy.
The bishops, who expressed dismay at the growing preoccupation of politicians with securing and retaining power ahead of the 2027 general elections, rather than delivering good governance, added that this obsession with political dominance had fuelled corruption, inefficiency, and the neglect of citizens’ welfare.
The bishops further criticised political defections, alignments and realignments, describing them as self-serving moves by politicians with little intention to serve the people.
The communiqué read, “In the face of many live threats, politicians are more preoccupied with securing and retaining power and less concerned with good governance for the common good of the electorate.
“Abandoning their duties, they seem more concerned with the pursuit of their personal political agenda and perfecting strategies to grasp power in 2027.
“In fact, there seems to be suppression of opposition as Nigeria appears to be tilting to a one-party state, the development of which is not a good omen for democracy.
“We observe that many politicians are merely strategising, aligning and realigning, defecting from one party to another; and posturing for future political offices with little or no intention to contribute to the common good and make better the lives of the citizens.”
Ahead of the 2027 elections, the bishops demanded electoral reforms that should not only ensure electronic transmission of results from the polling units, but also their electronic collation in real time.
They also urged the judiciary to remain impartial in electoral matters, stressing that judicial credibility was vital to national stability.