A former minister of finance and acting chairman of the Labour Party has accused President Bola Tinubu of celebrating Nigeria’s weakening democracy.
Usman said the president did so by gleefully mocking and expressing his joy over the crisis rocking the opposition parties in the country.
Recall that the president during his speech in commemoration of Nigeria’s 26 Democracy Day said he was excited that the opposition parties are in disarray.
However, reacting to the comment, Usman said Tinubu’s statement is far beneath what is expected of a democratic leader.
She also stated that such remarks from a president betrays a worrying disdain for the essential pillars of democratic engagement.
She said, “A president who celebrates the weakening of opposition is, by extension, celebrating the weakening of democracy itself.”
Further describing the president’s remark as unguarded and undemocratic, Usman said that the All Progressives Congress led by President Tinubu has descended into a public crisis in the North East region.
She added that while the nation watched, the party exposed the rot at the centre of its politics
She described the reaction to the happenings within the APC and the attempt by the party leadership to dump Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate as political Karma
“Let it be known: democracy thrives not when power is consolidated, but when it is contested with responsibility and honour. We in the Labour Party will not gloat, but we will stand firm. This moment should be a mirror to the President, a time for deep reflection, not petty celebration. Nigeria deserves better than the politics of sabotage and suppression.
“To every Nigerian watching: the time has come to look beyond the noise and choose leadership rooted in humility, truth, and national interest. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building a nation where opposition is not persecuted but protected as a vital sign of our collective democratic health,” Usman noted.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
