… Dismiss fears of One-party state
Hon. Ukodhiko Jonathan, representing Isoko North and South Federal Constituency of Delta State, has dismissed concerns that Nigeria is sliding into a one-party state under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking in commemoration of Democracy Day, on Thursday, shortly after President Bola Tinubu Joint sitting with members of the Senate and House of Representatives, Hon. Jonathan attributed the gale of defections to the APC’s progressive reform policies and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“What is happening is that because of the progressive reform policies of the president and the APC government, a lot of people are now seeing the promise land and they see the need to join them,” Hon. Jonathan explained.
“People like us, we know that the Renewed Hope Agenda is one of the best that have ever happened to the people of Nigeria, and that is why a lot of people are actually defecting and joining the party.”
Hon. Jonathan emphasized that the decision to join the APC is driven by citizens’ perception of progress, rather than coercion. “It’s not that the president or APC is coercing anybody to join them, people are seeing the progress,” he said.
He allay fears of One-party state, saying “Nigeria can’t become a one-party state, and from President Tinubu’s address, it shows he is not in favor of a one-party state, and he is not holding the leaders of other parties from doing what they can do to put their house together,”
He pointed out that the president has not stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from registering new political parties, highlighting the existence of various parties such as the Labor Rights Party (LRP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmaker also commended the working relationship between the legislature and the executive, describing it as crucial for the country’s growth and development.
“As you can see without being told, you can see that the legislature and the executive, they are working together, and it is very crucial for the growth and development of this country,” Hon. Jonathan said.
Hon. Jonathan also praised the enduring democratic values of freedom of speech, choice, and lawful liberty in the last 26 years,contrasting them with the restrictive era of military rule. “During the military regime, were you free? Can you say anything? Can you criticize government? The answer is no,” he noted.
In a bold endorsement of the APC-led administration, Jonathan applauded the government’s “painful but necessary” decisions aimed at moving the country forward. “The APC government is taking a lot of difficult decisions to try to move this country forward… without those decisions, the country cannot move forward,” he said.
