PDP Accuses Tinubu Govt of Eroding Democracy
Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has seized upon a recent classification by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) to assert that the country is sliding into authoritarianism under President Bola Tinubu, intensifying political discourse just over a year before the 2027 general elections.
The HRF, through its Tyranny Tracker platform, recently placed Nigeria in the category of a “full authoritarian regime.” The foundation’s assessment reportedly evaluates nations on critical democratic pillars, including electoral integrity, protection of civil liberties, and the strength of institutional checks and balances.
Responding to this classification, the PDP’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong Essien, issued a statement on August 10, 2026. Essien argued that the HRF report aligns with the daily experiences of Nigerians under the current administration. “The assessment showed Nigeria performed abysmally low on all critical pillars, including faulty electoral processes, absence of protection for dissent, erosion of democratic safeguards, and collapse of checks and balances by national institutions,” Essien stated.
The opposition party specifically highlighted recent public statements by administration officials regarding Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. The PDP described these as evidence of an active shrinking of civic space. Furthermore, the party criticised the National Assembly for what it termed a failure to provide meaningful oversight, pointing to the approval of budgets despite historical delays in implementation. “An administration that failed to execute the Appropriation Act for three years still received commendation instead of condemnation from lawmakers,” the statement noted.
The PDP also alleged that security agencies are being weaponised against political opponents, and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of demonstrating partisanship as the 2027 election cycle draws closer. “We call on the Tinubu APC administration to immediately take critical steps to de-escalate the political tensions emanating from actions traceable to their officials and their proxies, in the interest of the survival of democracy,” Essien added.
Historically, Nigeria’s democratic trajectory has seen fluctuations. The military coups of 1966 and 1983 remain stark reminders of the fragility of civilian rule. More recently, the 2023 elections faced widespread scrutiny from international observers, including the European Union Election Observation Mission, which noted a lack of transparency and trust in the electoral process.
As the nation approaches 2027, both domestic observers and international bodies are expected to intensify monitoring of institutional independence and electoral preparedness. The PDP’s reference to the HRF report serves as a catalyst for broader public debate regarding the future of democratic governance in Africa’s largest economy, with the central question remaining whether public institutions can withstand the pressures of partisan politics in the coming months.