{"id":6890,"date":"2025-06-11T12:54:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T12:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/?p=6890"},"modified":"2025-06-11T12:54:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T12:54:58","slug":"nigeria-is-sliding-back-into-civilian-dictatorship-dele-momodu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/2025\/06\/11\/nigeria-is-sliding-back-into-civilian-dictatorship-dele-momodu\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria Is Sliding Back Into Civilian Dictatorship \u2014 Dele Momodu"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a candid appearance on Channels Television\u2019s\u00a0The Morning Brief<\/em>\u00a0on Wednesday, a prominent leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed deep concern over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, especially as the nation approaches Democracy Day on June 12.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very happy that today coincides with the lead-up to June 12 (Democracy Day), so that if we still have any iota of conscience left, we\u2019ll realise we have damaged this democracy,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n

He painted a grim picture, saying, \u201cOn the eve of June 12, Nigeria is virtually back to civilian dictatorship\u2014rulers who couldn\u2019t care less how their citizens feel or what they think. Nigerians are hungry, and our democratic ideals have been compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasised the severity of the situation, expressing hope that the damage might not be beyond repair. \u201cThe audacity and effrontery of this set of politicians\u2014whether in the executive, legislature, or local government\u2014is unbelievable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The PDP stalwart reflected on the sacrifices made during the fight for democracy, notably the struggle for June 12, and said current developments would be heartbreaking for those who fought and died for Nigeria\u2019s democratic rights. \u201cAll those who suffered for this democracy\u2014especially those in heaven\u2014if they could see us today, they would be crying,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Internal Crisis and Wike\u2019s Domination of PDP<\/strong><\/p>\n

Turning to internal party affairs, he criticised the growing influence of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike within the PDP. The leader accused Wike of hijacking party decisions, destabilising internal structures, and questioning his democratic credentials.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ridiculous that one man, who should be busy in Abuja, is dictating where the PDP presidential ticket should go in 2027,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat Wike is doing is a replay of what he did in Rivers State\u2014and he\u2019s doing it with the backing of the top echelons of the party.\u201d<\/p>\n

He questioned Wike\u2019s role in Nigeria\u2019s fight for democracy, asking, \u201cWhere was Wike during the June 12 struggle? Who knew him then? Yet today, he speaks as if he\u2019s Nigeria\u2019s founding father.\u201d<\/p>\n

The leader also condemned Wike\u2019s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. \u201cThis crisis was orchestrated and worsened by one man,\u201d he claimed. \u201cIt\u2019s unprecedented in Nigeria\u2019s history for such a drastic measure to be used simply because someone refuses to step down quietly.\u201d<\/p>\n

He accused Wike of staging a \u201ccoup\u201d within the PDP, using coercion and political machinations to impose his will. \u201cWhat Wike is doing now is tantamount to staging a coup against the party that made him\u2014he has no moral right to dictate the party\u2019s future,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n

Reacting to President Tinubu\u2019s \u2018Busybodies\u2019 Remarks<\/strong><\/p>\n

The PDP leader also responded critically to President Bola Tinubu\u2019s recent remarks during the inauguration of the newly refurbished Abuja International Conference Centre, now named after him. Tinubu referred to concerned Nigerians as \u201cbystanders\u201d and \u201cbusybodies,\u201d which drew sharp rebukes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI listened to the President\u2019s comments and found them disturbing,\u201d he said. \u201cWho is a bystander in his own country? All because of one man\u2014Wike.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further pointed out the seemingly contradictory state of Nigerian leadership, saying, \u201cWike was dancing after commissioning a centre that cost over \u20a630 billion. Right now, it feels like we have two presidents in Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n

Refusal to Join the Ruling Party and a Call for Reform<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the turbulence within the PDP and many governors defecting to the APC, the leader declared he would not join the ruling party. \u201cIf I wanted to join the APC, I wouldn\u2019t be speaking like this,\u201d he emphasised. \u201cMy soul is out of PDP\u2014I refuse to be part of a party where one man dictates the future of all, despite their service to Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n

He warned that Nigeria\u2019s political culture needs urgent reform. \u201cUnless we restore genuine democratic values, Nigeria risks slipping into autocracy. Wike and others abusing power with impunity are pushing us in that dangerous direction,\u201d he cautioned.<\/p>\n

This critical voice underscores the urgent need for Nigeria to reflect on its democratic progress and address internal party struggles that threaten to destabilise the nation\u2019s future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a candid appearance on Channels Television\u2019s\u00a0The Morning Brief\u00a0on Wednesday, a prominent leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed deep concern over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, especially as the nation approaches Democracy...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6890"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6892,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890\/revisions\/6892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}