Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has issued a scathing critique of Nigeria’s democratic system following a parliamentary vote on March 21, 2025, asserting that the absence of a robust opposition and proportional representation renders true democracy nonexistent in the country.
He accused General Tinubu of turning democracy into a “transactional” and “compromised” system akin to “organised criminality,” urging reforms to restore genuine democracy, and vowed to continue the fight.
In a statement released on March 22, 2025, Obi argued that a functional opposition is indispensable to democracy, serving to hold the ruling party accountable and provide alternative perspectives. He contrasted Nigeria’s system with those of South Africa and Indonesia, where proportional representation ensures fairer legislative composition. In South Africa, for instance, the African National Congress (ANC) holds about 160 of 400 National Assembly seats with 40% of the vote, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) secures around 80 seats with 20%. Indonesia follows a similar model, bolstered by laws preventing elected officials from switching parties without losing their seats, a measure Obi says preserves electoral integrity and party discipline.
Obi proposed that if Nigeria adopted such a system, its 109-seat Senate would reflect a more balanced distribution: approximately 44 seats for the APC, 33 for the PDP (led by Atiku Abubakar), and 27 for the Labour Party (under his leadership). The House of Representatives, with 360 seats, would ideally feature around 144 APC members, 108 PDP members, and 90 Labour Party members. However, he lamented that Nigeria’s lack of anti-defection laws allows politicians to switch parties freely, diluting opposition strength and mocking voters’ choices.
This unchecked flexibility, Obi warned, transforms Nigeria’s democracy into a “transactional” and “compromised” system, verging on “organised criminality.” He stressed that without urgent reforms—such as enforcing party discipline, ensuring proportional representation, and upholding democratic principles—Nigeria’s democracy will remain fragile and dysfunctional.
Despite these challenges, Obi vowed resilience. “We will not surrender to criminality. We shall continue to fight for democracy—genuine democracy,” he declared, signaling a determined push for systemic change.
