Former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni has warned that Nigeria’s democracy is “regressing” into “organised opportunism” and called for a sharp reduction in the number of political parties to save the system.
Speaking Wednesday on _Frontline_, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Oni said Nigeria would be better off with three parties instead of 21. “Going into so many political parties will never help democracy… 21 political parties or whatever number only creates opportunism,” he said.
Oni argued that many parties exist in name only, do not campaign, and “will hardly get a thousand votes” except by mistake. He proposed yearly performance reviews and a minimum vote threshold in national elections for parties to remain registered. “If a political party is acceptable, it will reflect in votes. Should we continue to waste national resources maintaining parties that people do not support?” he asked.
He dismissed concerns that pruning parties limits democratic freedom, saying democracy needs “structure and measurable participation, not unlimited proliferation of weak platforms.”
On governance, Oni acknowledged “relative stability” in macroeconomic indicators, citing steadier exchange rates that have drawn investor interest. “Where there is stability, of course, the investment world will take positive interest… that is what brings investment,” he said.
But he warned stability has not eased household pain. “The absolute value of the exchange rate is still important… We still want to see improvement in the value of the Naira,” he said. He linked inflation to exchange rate weakness and low farm output, blaming insecurity for crippling agriculture. “Farmers are not as productive as they should be because the security index is very poor, and this affects everything else in the economy.”
Oni praised the military’s efforts and urged citizens to share credible intelligence. “When we hear of kidnapping or even rumours of kidnapping, everybody becomes jittery, and that alone affects economic activity,” he said.
He described subsidy removal and FX unification as necessary but painful, saying hardship “will not go overnight.” He backed palliatives if delivered “wisely and constructively” through schools, faith groups, and structured community systems rather than cash handouts. “I am not a fan of palliatives, but we have to do it.”
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On state governors, Oni said he lacked access to their books to judge performance but insisted “every level of government should be encouraged to do more” to reach citizens.
Addressing APC’s dominance, he said Nigeria risks drifting toward a one-party system. He attributed defections and new coalitions like the ADC to “poor management of political organisations,” not ideology. “Most of the big wigs have had opportunities to run their parties properly and did not. Setting up new parties is not an achievement.”
Oni confirmed he is a member of the APC. “I belong to APC. I’m not ashamed or afraid to say it,” he said, adding that he is unmoved by defections. “The people will decide, not just the big names moving from one party to another.”
He concluded by urging reform of party registration rules, performance-based evaluation, and a disciplined democratic culture. “If we don’t fix the system, we will keep recycling the same problems under different names.”
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