• Nigeria risks authoritarianism under one-party system, Lagos PDP warns
• Supreme Court to hear appeals by Turaki-led PDP, Mark-led ADC Tuesday

Former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has accused President Bola Tinubu of adopting the tactics the late Gen. Sani Abacha used to emerge as the sole candidate of a democratic election.
 
According to him, the former governor of Lagos State is orchestrating a strategy to weaken opposition parties ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
 
This was as the Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmen Forum cautioned against growing attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to steer Nigeria towards a one-party structure, urging citizens to defend the country’s democratic space.
 
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has fixed Tuesday, April 14, 2026, to hear three appeals arising from the ongoing leadership crises within the PDP and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
 
Tambuwal, while addressing journalists after the ADC state congress in Sokoto, alleged that the President’s political agenda was to ensure that no opposition party remains stable. He claimed that internal crises within rival parties were deliberately fuelled by the Presidency to favourthe APC.
 
The former governor of Sokoto warned against a return to a “one-party dominance by design”, referencing the controversial transition programme during Abacha’s regime when political parties unanimously endorsed him.
 
He noted that the ruling government had negatively influenced opposition platforms, including the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), to weaken the broader opposition coalition.
 
According to him, such actions threaten Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
 
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives also accused the administration of worsening Nigeria’s socioeconomic conditions, citing persistent insecurity, rising poverty and unemployment.
 
He expressed optimism about the ADC’s prospects, describing it as a credible alternative capable of “rescuing Nigeria from misrule.”

ADDRESSING journalists in Lagos at the weekend, the PDP Chairmen Forum’s chairman, Aderounmu Adeyemi, warned that weakening opposition voices could erode democratic principles and encourage authoritarian tendencies. 
 
He stressed that a vibrant multi-party system “remains essential” for accountability, inclusiveness and good governance.
 
The forum also criticised recent urban renewal actions by the Lagos government, particularly the demolition of waterfront communities, saying such exercises left many residents displaced without proper consultation or resettlement plans. 
 
It described the situation as a humanitarian concern requiring urgent government attention.
 
Beyond housing issues, the group expressed dissatisfaction with what it termed the state’s declining living conditions. It pointed to challenges in healthcare delivery, especially in underserved areas, and raised concerns over rising insecurity, including cult-related violence and kidnappings, which it said continue to threaten public safety.
 
According to the forum, the incumbent administration has not adequately addressed key sectors, including economic stability, infrastructure, and public welfare, leading to increased hardship for residents. 
 
It added that many Lagosians feel disconnected from policies that directly affect their daily lives.
 
The forum appealed to the judiciary to ensure the timely resolution of pending legal matters involving the party, emphasising the importance of upholding justice and institutional independence.
 
Reaffirming its internal structure, the forum pledged loyalty to the state and national leadership of the PDP, while acknowledging prominent party figures, including Seyi Makinde and Olabode George, for their roles in guiding the party.

TWO of the appeals to be heard by the apex court tomorrow were filed by a faction of the PDP led by Kabiru Turaki, while the third was instituted by former Senate President, Senator David Mark, who is also a factional National Chairman of the ADC.
 
The appeals challenge recent judgments of the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
 
The PDP faction’s appeals are marked SC/CV/166/2026 (PDP vs. Hon. Austine Nwachukwu) and SC/CV/164/2026 (PDP vs. Alhaji Sule Lamido). Mark’s appeal is marked SC/CV/180/2026 (Senator David Mark vs. Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe).
 
The appeals by the Turaki-led PDP stem from decisions of the Court of Appeal delivered on March 9, which upheld earlier rulings of the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining the party from conducting its planned national convention of November 15 and 16, 2025.
 
The lower court had directed the PDP to first comply with relevant statutory provisions, including the Electoral Act and the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
 
The initial rulings were delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suits filed by aggrieved party members.
 
In the first case, decided on October 31, 2025, Omotosho upheld the claims of three PDP chieftains, Austin Nwachukwu (Imo State Chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia State Chairman) and TurnahAlabh George (South-South Zonal Secretary).
 
In the second case, Lifu, in a judgment delivered on November 14, 2025, ordered the PDP to halt its convention plans until it allowed former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, to contest the party’s national chairmanship.
 
Lamido had approached the court, alleging he was unlawfully denied the opportunity to participate in the chairmanship race.
 
Meanwhile, Senator Mark’s appeal challenges the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his earlier appeal in the ADC leadership dispute.
 
Mark had initially appealed against a September 4, 2025 ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which refused to grant injunctive reliefs sought in an ex parte application filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, an ADC chieftain.
 
In its ruling in appeal number CA/ABJ/CV/145/2026, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, upheld a preliminary objection by Gombe’s legal team, headed by Luka Haruna (SAN).
  
The court held that Mark’s appeal was incompetent, noting that it raised issues not contained in the trial court’s original ruling.
 
All three matters are now set for definitive determination by the Supreme Court tomorrow.