Democracy On The Slide — Oni Raises Red Flag
•Blasts ‘opportunism’ in party system
•Says economic gains not easing citizens’ pain
Former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni, has issued a stark warning over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, declaring that the country is drifting into “organised opportunism” under the guise of multi-party politics.
Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ogun State, Oni said Nigeria’s political space is becoming increasingly unstable, weakened by what he described as excessive party proliferation and self-serving defections.
“To be honest, we are regressing,” he said bluntly. “Too many political parties only create opportunism. If we had limited ourselves to a few viable platforms, democracy would function better.”
Economy: Stability Without Relief
While acknowledging signs of macroeconomic stability, Oni warned that such improvements have yet to translate into real benefits for Nigerians battling inflation and high living costs.
He noted that exchange rate stability has boosted investor confidence but insisted that the weak value of the naira continues to erode purchasing power.
“Stability is important, and we must applaud it,” he said. “But we are not where we should be. The value of the currency still matters, and Nigerians are not feeling the impact positively.”
Insecurity Hitting Food Production
Oni linked rising inflation to declining domestic output, particularly in agriculture, blaming insecurity for reduced productivity among farmers.
According to him, fear and violence in rural areas are crippling food production and worsening economic pressure nationwide.
“When farmers cannot go to their farms, everything is affected,” he said. “Even rumours of kidnapping create panic and disrupt economic activities.”
He, however, commended the military and other security agencies, urging citizens to support them with credible intelligence.
Reforms Painful, Palliatives Necessary
On government reforms such as subsidy removal and forex unification, Oni admitted they are necessary but warned that their harsh impact on citizens cannot be ignored.
“The hardship will not disappear overnight,” he said. “Government must find ways to ease the burden on the people.”
Though not a strong supporter of direct cash handouts, he backed structured palliative systems, suggesting schools and religious institutions as more effective distribution channels.
Call For Political Party Shake-up
A major highlight of Oni’s remarks was his call for a sweeping reform of Nigeria’s political party system, including reducing the number of registered parties and introducing performance-based benchmarks.
He argued that many parties exist only on paper and contribute little to democratic development.
“Some parties barely campaign and still remain registered. That is a waste,” he said. “We should set minimum performance thresholds and review them regularly.”
On APC, Defections And Coalitions
Oni reaffirmed his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing concerns over defections and emerging opposition coalitions.
“I belong to APC, and I’m not afraid to say it,” he declared.
He added that frequent political movements are less about ideology and more about poor leadership within parties.
“Setting up new parties is not the solution,” he said. “The real problem is failure to manage existing structures.”
Final Word: Fix The System Or Repeat The Mistakes
Oni concluded with a cautionary note, warning that without deep structural reforms, Nigeria risks recycling the same political failures under different platforms.
“We must not be deceived by the noise of new parties,” he said. “If we don’t fix the system, we will keep repeating the same problems in different forms.”
