Democracy Needs Multi-party Competition —Yiaga Africa

The Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, has warned that Nigeria’s democratic journey is increasingly threatened by the growing drift towards a one-party system, insisting that democracy can only thrive through genuine multi-party competition.

Mbamalu stated this during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a three-day Art4Democracy Lab for young creatives in Abuja yesterday, organised by Yiaga Africa with support from the Open Society Foundations.

She said democracy demands an environment where both ruling and opposition parties play active roles in accountability, checks and balances, and defending constitutional values.

Mbamalu stated, “Our democracy is still a journey. We cannot confidently say we have achieved the democracy Nigerians envision.

“One of the major threats facing us is the increasing tendency towards a one-party system. A one-party system is not a democracy. Democracy thrives on multi-party competition, where ruling and opposition parties ensure accountability and checks on the system.”

Mbamalu emphasised that young people must remain hopeful and committed to democratic principles despite the impunity displayed by the political class.

“The moment we lose hope, we stop fighting.

“Elected leaders are accountable to citizens. Nigerians must understand the power they hold. If we mobilise effectively, we outnumber the political elite.”

She lamented that divisions along ethnic, religious and political lines weaken citizens’ ability to demand accountability, adding that the political class benefits from such divisions.

Mbamalu said this was why civic education remained central to Yiaga’s work, adding that with young people making up about 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population, the future of the country depended on their participation in political and governance processes.

Speaking about the Art4Democracy initiative, she explained that the programme brought together 50 young creatives from 20 states to explore how art could be used to drive civic engagement, leadership values, and political participation.

Participants were trained in art-based advocacy and tasked with developing civic-oriented ideas to promote social cohesion, national identity and active citizenship. The top five groups will receive ₦1 million each to implement their projects within a two-month period.

One of the participants, poet and gender advocate Balogun Teniola Nafisat, urged young Nigerians not to exchange their votes for money, warning that short-term gains result in long-term suffering.

“You cannot sacrifice four years of suffering for a few naira notes.

“Local government elections matter. They affect your roads, water supply and sanitation. If you sell your vote, you cannot expect accountability or good governance.”