Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, anxiety is spreading among electorates, political observers and citizens.
The ongoing wave of defections by governors, senators and other key politicians from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has triggered fears that Africa’s largest democracy may be drifting toward a one-party state.
In recent months, the nation’s political terrain has witnessed a dramatic shift.
Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Douye Diri of Bayelsa State recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC, barely days apart.
Their defection pushed the ruling party’s control to 25 of Nigeria’s 36 states, leaving the PDP with 8, the Labour Party, LP, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, with one state each.
However, this development has fueled growing concern that the ruling party under President Bola Tinubu may face little or no resistance in the 2027 polls.