Gambari dismisses one-party state fears, urges reform of political parties

Ibrahim Gambari, former chief of staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed concerns that Nigeria could slide into a one-party state, saying such fears would fade if political parties were reformed and democratic institutions strengthened. Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Gambari said Nigeria’s democratic challenges stem more from weak party structures than from dominant political actors, noting that many parties lack ideology, internal democracy and clear identity.

He argued that strong, principled political parties are essential to sustaining democracy and preventing excessive concentration of power, adding that past attempts at political dominance in Nigeria had ultimately failed. Gambari also called for consideration of proportional representation to reduce the winner-takes-all system, stressing that such reforms would only succeed with credible parties. On electoral credibility, he said the Independent National Electoral Commission must be beyond suspicion and urged a review of how its officials are appointed, while faulting politicians for undermining fair play by rejecting election outcomes when they lose.

Written by Adeyemi Adewale