Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has called for a more virile opposition party in the country, saying the country’s main opposition party; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed in that duty.
The CNPP in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, noted that “unless a virile opposition party evolves ahead of the 2023 general elections, the country will have to return to a one party system, which is very unhealthy for our democracy.
“Evidently, we are gradually returning to the dark days of one party state before the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their allies metamorphosed into a strong opposition party and gave Nigerians an alternative party platform in 2015.
“The APC has been in power for six years but the lives of the ordinary person are not getting better, increasing the yarning for a new strong opposition party as possible choice against the ruling APC and the PDP.
“Rule of law has become a big challenge as the APC government has jettisoned that basic ingredient of democracy and have continued to manipulate democratic processes and have refused to obey several court orders in the last six years.
“So many valid court judgments have been disregarded by the APC with instances of the party’s failure to abide by its own party constitution in many instances till the recent Supreme Court verdict on its National Chairmanship position.
“We therefore call on all opposition parties in the country to come together and form alliances or mergers to provide an alternative political party platform as both PDP and the APC have failed the masses of Nigeria as main opposition party and ruling party controlling both the executive and the legislature.
“Obviously, the PDP under Uche Secondus’ leadership has failed to convince Nigerian electorates and the masses that the party is ready to provide itself as alternative in 2023 as even its Board of Trustees member just defected to the ruling APC”, the CNPP noted.