As accusations fly that President Bola Tinubu and the APC are plotting a one-party state, senior lawyer Prince Orji Nwafor-Orizu says the real danger to Nigeria’s democracy is not the ruling party, but a scattered and uncooperative opposition. In a wide-ranging analysis, he dismissed claims of judicial capture, faulted Atiku Abubakar’s argument on zoning and northern tenure, and urged the National Assembly to stop being “surplusage” when it resumes in September, writes Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka Our Managing Editor over the weekend.
Prince Nwafor-Orizu stated that Tinubu is simply preparing for an election like every other candidate. “Each person will apply the trick the best way he knows in order to win the election,” he said.
On the one-party system allegation, he argued that the fault lies with the opposition. “If the opposition want to pull them? Then they put themselves together. For now, there are about six strong oppositions and all of them are from the south. Is it politically viable? I do not think so.”
He said if the federal government truly wanted a one-party system, the opposition would have collapsed into one candidate. “The person that appears to have taken the lead from the opposition group appears to be Peter Obi. If others can give way… and allow only NDC to present the presidential candidate, let Peter Obi go forward, so as to actually win the election.”
Nwafor-Orizu faulted Atiku Abubakar’s argument on zoning and northern tenure deficit. Atiku claims the north is owed six years since 1999. “Nigeria has not existed for only those years,” the lawyer said.
He reminded that all military heads of state were from the north and served for years. “They are members of National Council of States. They are receiving allowances. So how can you then say that they were not presidents of Nigeria?”
He described Atiku’s reasoning as “senile” and “marked of senility and unreasonableness.” He cited Atiku’s flip-flop on zoning: first opposing it under Obasanjo, now supporting it, yet claiming zoning is not in the constitution.
“A lot of things that happen in many countries are not in the constitution,” Nwafor-Orizu noted. He cited the convention that if president is from north, VP is from south, and vice versa. “Is it in the constitution? Britain has been ruling for many years. Do they have a written constitution?”
On opposition viability, he referenced the Yar’Adua era when the ruling party sponsored opposition to keep democracy alive. He said a country without opposition is a dictatorship. “Even in the First Republic, Awolowo was referred to as leader of opposition. Was he attacked? No.”
He said the current opposition has “leader of opposition” and “shadow ministers” in theory, but lacks unity in practice. “If the opposition was united, the government cannot play any trick.”
Nwafor-Orizu argued that APC is only benefiting from opposition disarray. “APC government is taking advantage because there is no opposition. APC government is doing what they can do.”
He dismissed claims that Tinubu has captured the judiciary. “It is an ugly and stupid rumor, an uninformed rumor.” He said the president’s position does not always align with the judiciary. “When it is wrong, the judiciary will tell him it is wrong.”
He cited examples where the court ruled against the president’s position. One is the ADC case where the court rejected the president/APC position that David Mark should not be chairman. Another is the Labour Party leadership tussle where Abba was removed despite the president/APC position.
“People are afraid for nothing because APC is enjoying it,” he said. “APC is not doing it to anybody. People are doing things to themselves.”
On the upcoming National Assembly resumption, Nwafor-Orizu said Nigeria’s problem is leadership. “This country, by itself, is lacking in one thing alone. What is it? Leadership.”
He told the 10th Senate and House of Reps to use their remaining time to “protect Nigeria through law making.” “Let them, for once, forget their partisan nature.”
He warned against two extremes: opposing everything or supporting everything. “If the legislature opposes everything the executive does, it will be anarchy. If the legislature… supports everything the executive does, it’s surplusage of their appointments. They are useless.”
The ideal, he said, is to be in the middle. “When they can support, they will give reason. When they can oppose, they give reason.”
Concluding, Prince Nwafor-Orizu said Nigerians get the kind of legislature, executive and judiciary they deserve. Until leadership improves, he argued, the cycle of weak governance will continue.
