By John Alechenu
Abuja – A former Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has described fears that Nigeria might become a one-party state as misplaced.
Speaking yesterday, Gambari, founder of the Abuja-based Savannah Centre for Diplomacy and Development (SCDD), said Nigeria’s historical, cultural, and political complexities, as well as the ambitions of its elite, make it impossible for any individual or group to achieve such a venture.
“I’m not at all worried about this country becoming a one-party state. You can quote me: it will not happen, if history is any guide,” he said.
Gambari recalled past political experiences, noting that successive dominant parties failed to sustain one-party rule. “This administration is not the first to try to have a dominant party in Nigeria. In the First Republic, the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) was dominant. They did not prevent opposition, and where did that lead us? Not to peace or development, but to chaos.
“The NPN later became confident, thinking they would rule forever. What happened? It didn’t work. Then the PDP boasted they would rule for 60 years. Where are they today? Any effort to make this country a one-party state will not work.”
He emphasized that the ambitions of political elites make it impossible for power to be contained within one party. “Sometimes it will break for the wrong reasons, because the elites are too ambitious. But let’s not wait for disaster to learn lessons from history. We must strengthen political parties before crises happen.”
Gambari also challenged Nigerians to focus on building strong political parties and institutions rather than leaving governance solely to professional politicians. “If we have organized political parties, no one will even try to make a one-party state. Today, our parties have become mere vehicles to gain power because the constitution does not allow independent candidates. Political parties have become flags of convenience.”
He criticized the lack of ideological distinction between modern parties, noting that cross-carpeting—or decamping—has become commonplace. “In the First Republic, crossing from NPC to NCNC or Action Group was a big deal because of clear ideological differences. Today, you can be APC in the morning, PDP in the afternoon, and APC again the next day with no consequences.”
Prof. Gambari concluded that building strong, ideologically grounded parties is essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy and preventing the dominance of a single political force.
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