Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka, Our Managing Editor in this article writes that for Amobi Nzelu Esq, Principal Partner at Chinenye Chambers in Abuja, who did the popular case where six Apo traders in Abuja were allegedly killed by the police pro-bono, which earned him the name, Apo Six, notes with dismay that Nigeria’s democracy is bleeding from within. The problem, he argues, is not just the ruling party, but the failure of opposition parties to unite, and the growing culture within all political parties of subverting primaries, monetizing tickets, and sacrificing ideology for personal gain. In a wide-ranging interview, the senior lawyer warned that if parties continue to act as “weapons of mass destruction,” Nigeria risks sliding into despotism and a de-facto one-party state, will not will not be good for the country.
Mr. Nzelu traced the original purpose of political parties to sponsoring credible candidates for elections. He recalled the era of Awolowo and Azikiwe when party leaders sat down in the capital to field people of character for public office. “That is the game plan,” he said, but noted that the model has changed.
According to him, the current system has turned primaries into a sham. Parties now sell forms, conduct primaries, and then discard the winner in favor of “the highest bidder, who did not even contend the election.” He described this as “the greatest injury for Nigerians.”
“It is not healthy development for our democracy,” Nzelu stated.* He warned that when party leaders are armed with the power to override the will of delegates, they hold “weapon of mass destruction that will destroy the politics of this country.”
The lawyer blamed the desperation of aspirants on Nigeria’s economic realities. With no jobs, many see politics as “the best way to get rich.” Candidates spend heavily in primaries with the hope of recouping through office. “They go into the house, and they recoup what they spent. It’s not healthy for Nigerians,” he said.
He said this trend is pushing Nigeria toward a one-party system. “All these gambling they are doing, tend to zero down Nigeria to one party system.” He argued that Nigerians’ patience, “even if it is elasticated, has a breaking point.”
On whether he was referring to a specific party, Nzelu was blunt: “All political parties are the same leopard’s skin. It is the same thing. Half cup and half full. The same thing.” He rejected the idea that any party is exempt from the practice of imposition and monetization.
Turning to the opposition, Nzelu singled out the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which is positioning itself as a rescue mission. He said the party must be “like Caesar’s wife, seen to be above board in everything.” For him, democracy must start inside the party before it can be sold to Nigerians.
He addressed the NDC leadership directly, naming founder Senator Seriake Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa state and the party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, a former Anambra state governor. “The founder of the party, Dickson, is a lawyer. As governor, he should stand his leg on the ground to ensure that justice is done. Justice, injustice to one is injustice to all,” he said.
Nzelu warned the NDC against external interference. “NDC should not allow adopted mothers, adopted fathers, to come destroy it.” He said personal interests and material considerations must not eclipse reason.
On Peter Obi, he described him as “a good material for the position” and “a good brain.” But he urged Obi to “stand for the truth at all times.” When asked if Obi was doing so, Nzelu said he relies on news and social media reports.
He also commented on the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which many see as an alternative to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Nzelu noted the party’s internal crises. “Do you see what is happening in the court today? By the time they battle towards these hurdles, very close to the election, they are not certain. Somebody somewhere is creating this war for them.”
The lawyer criticized the ruling APC, for failing to tolerate opposition. He recalled that during Yar’Adua’s time, the ruling party sponsored opposition to stay sharp. “A political party that has no credible position translates into despotism. Democracy is dead and gone” if criticism is absent, he argued.
Nzelu advised the APC, which “has the yam and has the knife,” to ensure resources reach other parties and the masses. He questioned what the National Assembly will do for Nigerians after its recess. “What have they done for the masses?” he asked.
He lamented the commercialization of politics and its effect on governance. In his 46 years in legal practice, he said he stayed away from politics because “ of the falsehoods in the system.” He cited how “suddenly, you see somebody who was an Okada driver. His life has changed” after winning office, while allowances and projects “have stupendously enriched them at the expense of the people.”
The Apo-6 lawyer placed some responsibilities on governors and federal officials for Nigeria’s social decay. He referenced poverty in cities and corruption in high office, citing a former AG who allegedly amassed property in “eight years in power.” “Nigerians go into government to steal what they wanted, not what they needed, and that is a very big minus for this country,” he said.
In conclusion, the senior lawyer said President Tinubu cannot be blamed for everything alone. “He can’t be omnipresent. He can’t be everywhere to check.” He urged Nigerians to hold all leaders accountable at federal, state and local levels. The senior lawyer said he remains in legal practice because he refuses “soft money.” “The president is doing the much he can do, but talk of a country with diverse, multiple, ethnic, linguistic” challenges requires collective responsibility.
