President Bola Tinubu drew sharp criticism from opposition parties (PDP, ADC, SDP) after mocking their internal crises during his June 12 Democracy Day address to the National Assembly. Tinubu stated it was a "pleasure" to witness their disarray, urging them to "put your house in order" rather than blame the APC. Opposition leaders accused the ruling party of fueling their divisions, while Tinubu defended welcoming defectors as a democratic practice.
• Tinubu’s provocation: The president openly reveled in opposition infighting, calling it a sign of the APC’s strength.
• Opposition rebuttal: Parties dismissed his remarks as arrogant, insisting APC orchestrates their crises.
• Defection dynamics: Tinubu justified accepting defectors (like Delta/Akwa Ibom leaders) as a political freedom.
When a president celebrates his rivals’ fractures, does democracy thrive or wither? Tinubu’s taunt exposes Nigeria’s political paradox: parties demand internal cohesion yet weaponize defections. The opposition’s turmoil—whether self-inflicted or engineered—raises deeper questions: Can a democracy function without robust opposition? Or does Tinubu’s gloating reflect a system where power, not principles, dictates the rules? Beneath the rhetoric lies a test: Will Nigeria’s democracy mature beyond schadenfreude into genuine multiparty engagement?
• Should opposition unity be a democratic priority, or does infighting naturally strengthen the system?
• How might Tinubu’s comments impact voter perceptions ahead of 2027?
Sources: Daily Trust, National Assembly records
