Farouk Aliyu, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former House of Representatives member, has firmly rejected the notion that the ruling party is working to transform Nigeria into a one-party state.

In a recent interview with Arise News, Aliyu distanced the APC from controversial remarks made by the party's National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, who had previously expressed admiration for a one-party system and suggested the APC could 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 emphatically.

He further emphasized the potential dangers 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."

On Defections to APC

Addressing the wave of defections from opposition parties—particularly the People's Democratic Party (PDP)—Aliyu denied that the APC was orchestrating these movements, insisting that politicians were joining the ruling party voluntarily.

"What is our fault if anybody wants to join APC?" he questioned. "We have been the opposition for a while until we became the ruling party. So if members of the PDP or other parties decide to join us, we will not stop them. But honestly, having everybody joining APC is no good for democracy."

Aliyu emphasized that despite increasing party membership, ultimate power remains with voters: "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."

El-Rufai's Defection to SDP

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, suggesting they were "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. "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."

Opposition Coalition Talks

Commenting on reports of coalition talks between the PDP and Labour Party, reportedly led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, Aliyu said the APC is monitoring these developments while remaining 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," he concluded.