Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has endorsed President Bola Tinubu's assertion that his administration is not working towards establishing a one-party state in Nigeria, stating that both the president and opposition parties share the same vision for Nigeria's democratic future.
Saraki's comments came in response to President Tinubu's address to the National Assembly, where the president firmly rejected allegations that his administration plans to transform Nigeria into a one-party state despite recent high-profile defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
"We must take him at his words, he spoke well saying he is not for a one-party state, so we must take him at his words that he supports a multi-party, so we are all on the same page," Saraki told journalists at the National Assembly.
Tinubu's Stance on Political Opposition
During his address, President Tinubu had acknowledged concerns about Nigeria potentially becoming a one-party state but dismissed such fears as unfounded. "To those who ring the alarm that the APC is intent on a one-party state, I offer you a most personal promise. While your alarm may be as a result of your panic, it rings in error," the president stated.
However, Tinubu also made it clear that while he supports a multi-party system, he would not intervene to resolve internal crises within opposition parties. The president expressed satisfaction with the current disarray among opposition groups but maintained he would not interfere in their affairs.
PDP's Response to Defections
Saraki, a prominent figure in the People's Democratic Party (PDP), indicated that his party accepts the president's position and is working to strengthen its internal structures.
"We the PDP buy into this and that is why we are going around bringing everybody and they heard it, so those people saying there is pressure, there is no pressure on anybody," Saraki explained.
"We are all for multi-party and everybody should go and get his house in order. As he said, he's not going to help us, so we are going to sort our own house and get it in order," he added.
The exchange comes amid concerns over recent defections to the APC, with some defectors citing internal crises within their former parties as the reason for their switch to the ruling party.
Political analysts continue to monitor these developments closely as they may significantly impact Nigeria's political landscape ahead of future elections.
Follow BenriNews on social media for more updates:
