Former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against stifling opposition politics in Nigeria, warning that such a move could harm the country’s democracy.

 

In an open letter addressed to the President, Bafarawa urged Tinubu to remember how opposition politics played a role in his own rise to power and ensured that Nigeria remains a multi-party democracy.

 

Bafarawa, who served as governor from 1999 to 2007, recalled his long history in Nigerian politics, emphasizing his commitment to democracy. He noted that past administrations allowed the opposition to thrive, which ultimately led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party under which Tinubu was elected.

 

“You are, as a matter of fact, a product of opposition politics. You will therefore be making a grave mistake if you allow yourself to be carried away by the temporary power at your disposal by not giving the opposition a breathing space,”

Bafarawa wrote. “Anybody who is advising you to muzzle the opposition wants to deceive you into tarnishing your hard-earned reputation as a democrat.”

 

Beyond politics, Bafarawa expressed deep concern over the worsening economic situation in the country, stating that Nigerians are experiencing severe hardship nearly two years into Tinubu’s administration. He pointed to the growing insecurity, inflation, and widespread hunger, calling for urgent intervention.

 

“The blight of insecurity which you promised to curtail is getting out of hand. The economic outlook is frightening. Inflation is galloping out of control. Hunger is ravaging the land. There are cries of anguish all over the country. This slide, Mr President, must be urgently arrested without further delay,” he wrote.

 

While acknowledging that Tinubu inherited an insecure and struggling economy from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, Bafarawa insisted that the President has a “historical responsibility”to fulfill his campaign promises to improve the lives of Nigerians.

 

He further advised the President to learn from the democratic system in the United States, where two dominant parties ensure the stability of democracy. He warned that any attempt to suppress opposition voices could lead to national instability.

 

“I therefore call on you, Mr President, to shun the temptation of enthroning a one-party order in Nigeria. Nigeria can ill afford a one-party arrangement. It is a recipe for anarchy. Rather, sustenance of a democratic order is the easiest route to move a country forward,” he wrote.

 

Bafarawa reminded Tinubu that had opposition politics been suppressed in the past, he would not have had the platform to become President.

 

“Remember, if those who came before you killed the opposition, there would have been no vehicle for you to get to your present political destination,” he added.