Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy risks being undermined without a strong and virile opposition.
Speaking during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in Imo State – where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the party’s candidate – Uzodimma urged opposition parties to build robust structures capable of effectively challenging the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor advised opposition leaders to emulate the APC’s approach to party building and grassroots mobilisation.
“It is no longer a democracy if there is no opposition.
“I encourage opposition parties to work hard, do what the ruling party has done, and when, by the grace of God, it becomes their turn, they will elect their own president,” Uzodimma said.
He also expressed confidence in the APC’s readiness for the 2027 elections, citing the party’s strengthened grassroots structures, particularly through its electronic membership registration and validation exercise.
“If you look at what is happening at the grassroots — from the electronic membership registration to the validation of members — you can see 35,000 people in just one ward across the local governments.
“It means that if all our party members vote for President Bola Tinubu, he has already won the election,” he added.
In addition, the governor called on Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing APC membership registration, describing it as a model that promotes grassroots inclusiveness.
“The membership registration as conducted by the All Progressives Congress took care of grassroots inclusiveness, and today it is manifesting in the realities of our democratic situation in Nigeria,” Uzodimma noted.
