IPAC Warns Against Slide to One-Party State as Defections Intensify Ahead of 2027

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ebonyi State has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s growing drift toward a one-party structure, warning that the mass defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) threaten democratic balance.

State Chairman of IPAC, Nasir Nwaze, told journalists in Abakaliki on Wednesday that the wave of opposition governors crossing over to the APC could weaken multi-party participation, a core pillar of democracy.

Nigeria has witnessed a string of high-profile defections, including Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, sparking fears that the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections may tilt toward single-party dominance.

Although President Bola Tinubu, during the June 12 Democracy Day address to the National Assembly, dismissed the idea that the APC is steering the country toward a one-party regime, Nwaze maintained that democratic plurality must be protected.

“A one-party system is very unhealthy for any democratic nation,” he cautioned. “The fact that people defect to the APC does not erase the structures of other parties. They remain functional and independent.”

Nwaze reiterated that IPAC remains committed to mediating political tensions and fostering peaceful coexistence among parties. According to him, Ebonyi’s political climate encourages collaboration rather than hostility.

“We are the umbrella body for all registered parties recognised by INEC. Every party in Ebonyi has the freedom to recruit members and field candidates. In the end, the electorate will determine who they want,” he stressed.