Former Niger State governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has issued a stark warning that Nigeria would suffer severe consequences if it transitions into a one-party state. The caution came during his address at the 6th Zik’s Awards Lecture in Abuja, commemorating the 121st posthumous birthday of Nigeria’s founding president, Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Defecting Governors Criticized
Aliyu strongly condemned state governors abandoning their political parties due to “bribery or intimidation,” noting such actions violate constitutional provisions. He emphasized: “If we make the mistake of creating a one-party state in Nigeria, we will pay dearly for it. While citizens should have political alternatives, we shouldn’t rebel if majority opinion leans one direction.”
Strengthening Political Alternatives
The former governor explained his late arrival at the event resulted from traveling to Ibadan the previous day to help “strengthen the vehicle” offering Nigerians alternative political platforms. He revealed internal party reforms are underway: “We examined our party like surgeons, removing the cancer crippling it. With this blockage gone, we can provide Nigerians genuine political choices.”
Azikiwe’s Nation-Building Legacy
Reflecting on Azikiwe’s legacy, Aliyu shared his personal admiration stemmed not just from coincidental birth dates and academic parallels, but from Zik’s role as a “pragmatic nation-builder.” He noted: “Zik embodied Nigerian identity before independence itself,” highlighting the late statesman’s foundational contributions to Nigeria’s political consciousness.
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