Secondus Accuses APC: 'Government Afraid of Elections' Over Parties' Deregistration
Former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, has accused the APC administration of using judicial actions to undermine Nigerian democracy, warning it could lead to a one-party system. His concerns follow a Federal High Court ruling deregistering political parties midway through the electoral cycle, which he views as a dangerous assault on multi-party democracy.
Prince Uche Secondus, the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has vehemently accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of leveraging the judiciary to systematically undermine Nigeria's democracy. Secondus issued a stark warning, stating that such judicial interventions, if left unaddressed, could pave the way for a one-party system and severely weaken the country's democratic foundations.
His strong reaction was prompted by a recent Federal High Court ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, which led to the deregistration of several political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Secondus expressed profound disappointment and deep concern over this development, particularly as it occurred midway through the political cycle. The affected parties had already concluded their primary elections and were in the advanced stages of preparing their candidates for campaigns, making the timing of the deregistration highly disruptive.
In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, the former PDP chairman asserted that the court's decision was not merely a setback for the deregistered parties but represented a perilous assault on the fundamental tenets of multi-party democracy, citizen participation, and the rule of law. Secondus explicitly accused the government of deliberately working to weaken opposition parties, seeing it as a calculated move towards establishing a one-party state. He remarked, “They are afraid of elections; they want a coronation.”
Secondus further elaborated on his argument by referencing the intentions of the framers of the Nigerian Constitution. He contended that the constitutional framers envisaged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would address issues pertaining to party deregistration shortly after a general election, not in the middle of an ongoing electoral cycle. He argued that deregistering parties at such a critical juncture effectively disenfranchises voters, introduces political instability, and drastically narrows the democratic space. This situation is particularly detrimental, he noted, given that several political parties are already contending with their own internal crises.
According to Secondus, endorsing political exclusion by dissolving parties midway through an electoral cycle constitutes