Former Governor of Sokoto State and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating efforts to destabilise opposition parties in Nigeria.
Tambuwal made the allegation on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he claimed the ruling party and the President were behind recent turmoil within opposition ranks.
“When you look at what is happening in various political parties in Nigeria today — you don’t need to be told, no matter the amount of denial by whoever, including President Bola Tinubu, that they are not involved in destabilization efforts. It is incorrect,” Tambuwal said.
Doubling down, he added: “I am not accusing them. I am saying they are involved in efforts aimed at destabilisation of opposition parties.”
When pressed by host Seun Okinbaloye to provide concrete evidence, Tambuwal insisted his claims were based on certainty, not speculation.
“I am saying, I am not suspecting. They are involved in all of this,” he said.
President Tinubu was elected in 2023, defeating former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), among others. While the PDP and LP secured several governorship and legislative seats, both parties—and other opposition groups—have since faced internal divisions and high-profile defections to the APC.
In recent months, multiple PDP governors, LP lawmakers, and key political figures have defected to the APC, sparking concerns about the state of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy. Tambuwal suggested these defections and internal crises were part of a broader strategy by the ruling party to weaken democratic opposition.
In response to the growing influence of the APC, political figures from across the spectrum—including aggrieved members of the APC, PDP, LP, and others—have attempted to form a united coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Prominent figures involved include Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola, former Senate President David Mark, and ex-Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi.
However, the APC has dismissed the coalition’s efforts. Speaking at the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja in July, President Tinubu mocked the opposition alliance.
“It’s not a bad idea to abandon the sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” Tinubu said during the event, where former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, was elected as the party’s new national chairman.
Despite the ruling party’s confidence, Tambuwal’s accusations highlight the deepening divisions and political manoeuvring ahead of future elections, and raise fresh questions about the health of opposition politics in Nigeria.
