Nigeria’s Multi-party Democracy Under Threat, Says ADC Chieftain Batagarawa

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Lawal Batagarawa, has warned that Nigeria’s multi-party democracy is under threat, alleging that state power and institutions were being deployed to pressure opposition politicians into defecting to the ruling party.

Batagarawa, a former Minister of State for Defence under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, raised the alarm on Tuesday during an interview on ARISE News PrimeTime programme, expressing concern over what he described as a growing and systematic pattern of coercion against opposition figures.

“Multi-party democracy is grounded on the principles of free association. When the government begins to take decisions that inhibit those free associations, then there is a threat to multi-party democracy,” he said.

He stressed that political participation must be voluntary and driven by individual choice. “It is important to reduce it to the individual level first before you escalate it to the level of the party,” Batagarawa stated.

According to him, opposition politicians across different parties have raised similar concerns about undue pressure to change political allegiance.

“A number of opposition politicians within the ADC and the PDP have issued statements detailing a pattern that is emerging, which is putting pressure on people to change alliances, not on the basis of their free will, but on the basis of pressure from the government.

“The issue of joining political parties should be based on your free will. But if you are put under pressure, and that pressure becomes systemic and widespread, then it means you are undermining multi-party democracy,” Batagarawa said.

Asked to cite examples, Batagarawa referenced a widely publicised remark by a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Let us take the statement of Adams Oshiomhole when he was chairman of the APC. He made a public statement that anyone who joins the APC has their sins forgiven. That is a loaded statement,” he said.

He added, “It is not me who made that statement. It is not the ADC. It was the chairman of the APC who said that if you join our party, whatever your crime, you are free.”

Responding to suggestions that the opposition is hostile to anti-corruption efforts, Batagarawa dismissed the claim.

“The answer is no. We are very clear,” he said, recalling his role in past reforms. “I was part of the Obasanjo government. We brought the legislation to the National Assembly that established the EFCC. The current National Security Adviser was the first chairman of the EFCC.”

He maintained that the ADC supports the work of security and anti-graft agencies, provided it is done transparently and without bias.

“We do not condone corruption or fraud. We support security agencies to discharge their responsibilities honourably,” Batagarawa said. “We have no problem with the security agencies doing their jobs in a transparent, honest and clear manner.”

However, he expressed concern over what he described as selective prosecutions and inconsistency in handling corruption cases.
“Where you see cases taking off with a lot of fanfare, suddenly things slow down. The media hype disappears, and everybody loses interest,” he said, noting that such trends raise serious concerns.

Batagarawa warned that prolonged delays or abandoned cases could erode public trust. “When cases are delayed or buried, it does not inspire confidence in the security agencies or in the judiciary,” he said. “If people are shut down, they will find a way to resort to self-help. That is a very dangerous, slippery path. It leads to anarchy.”

He placed ultimate responsibility on the President as the country’s chief security officer, cautioning that, “If he allows this to continue, then he takes full responsibility. Leading the country along that slippery path is dangerous”.

Outlining what the ADC offers Nigerians, Batagarawa said the party prioritises security, peace and economic recovery. “Security is different from peace, but they are two sides of the same coin. You cannot expand your economy if you are in a perpetual state of insecurity or lack of peaceful coexistence.

“We will ensure a secure and peaceful environment so people can go about their lawful businesses and earn a living without fear of molestation,” he said.

Speaking on the economy, Batagarawa said official inflation figures fail to reflect everyday realities. “The official inflation figures and what is happening in people’s pockets are two different things”.

He added that many people no longer have access to their land or their markets due to insecurity and also criticised heavy reliance on food imports, warning that it has crippled local agricultural production.

“The cost of fertiliser is still high. Insecticides are high. Herbicides are high. Yet the price of produce is falling,” he noted.

He further condemned the proliferation of arms and the arming of unregulated groups.

“Given the amount of arms in illegal hands, and in some instances state governments handing weapons to vigilantes, this is further fuelling the crisis,” he said.

He called for urgent disarmament and tighter arms control by taking arms out of illegal hands. “Then we must stop arms from getting into the wrong hands again,” Batagarawa said.