The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has warned that the growing wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, describing the trend as a dangerous sign of creeping dictatorship.
CHRICED’s Executive Director, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, in a statement on Monday, said the steady movement of elected officials to the ruling party undermines pluralism and weakens democratic accountability.
According to him, many of the defections are not driven by ideology or policy alignment but by political pressure, inducements and the quest for personal survival, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Zikirullahi said Nigeria was witnessing a gradual erosion of democratic norms, as governors and lawmakers elected on opposition platforms abandon the mandates freely given to them by voters.
He cited recent defections by governors from states traditionally controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Delta, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Rivers, as evidence of what he described as a shrinking opposition space.
The rights group also expressed concern over the role of democratic institutions, particularly the National Assembly and the judiciary, accusing them of failing to act as effective checks on executive excesses.
According to CHRICED, the legislature has remained largely silent on the constitutional implications of mass defections, while court decisions on party-switching and electoral disputes have helped legitimise opportunistic political behaviour.
He said, “Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing wave of defections. Governors from traditionally PDP strongholds such as Delta (Sheriff Oborevwori), Enugu (Peter Mbah), Akwa Ibom (Umo Eno), and Rivers (Siminalye Fubara) have abandoned their mandates to join the APC.
“These defections are not driven by policy alignment or genuine reform. They are calculated moves to secure protection, patronage, and relevance ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Nigeria’s democracy will not collapse overnight; it will wither silently if defections and arrogance go unchallenged. Each defection is not a harmless political move but a betrayal of the people’s mandate, a brick removed from the foundation of accountability.
“When opposition is silenced, when the legislature becomes a rubber stamp, and when the judiciary seals corruption, dictatorship does not arrive with guns—it arrives with applause.
“The cost is clear: poverty deepens, insecurity spreads, hope dies, and citizens flee. If this drift continues, Nigeria will not just lose its democracy, it will lose its soul”,
Zikirullahi warned that unchecked one-party dominance could have far-reaching consequences, including weakened oversight, rising insecurity, worsening poverty and declining public trust in elections.
He noted that experiences from other countries where opposition voices were suppressed showed that democracy often collapses gradually rather than abruptly.
The organisation called on civil society groups, the media and democratic institutions to resist what it described as the erosion of democratic values, urging opposition parties to rebuild and offer Nigerians credible political alternatives.
“Nigeria’s democracy will not collapse overnight, but it can be quietly suffocated if citizens and institutions fail to act,” Zikirullahi warned.
CHRICED urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, stressing that the survival of democracy depends on strong institutions, accountable leadership and the protection of opposition voices.
