Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has accused President Bola Tinubu of overseeing what he described as the gradual dismantling of Nigeria’s democratic values and economic stability.
Secondus made the comments during the public presentation of two books authored by veteran journalist Ike Abonyi: The Bubbles of Nigeria’s Democracy: The Musings of a Nigerian Journalist and Wadata Wonders: Memoirs of a Partisan Journalist. The event took place in Abuja on Wednesday.
In his address, Secondus lamented the state of Nigeria’s political system, which he described as lacking in ideology, continuity, and genuine democratic principles.
“We are still far from getting to a point where we can say we have democracy,” he said. “We don’t have democracy in our country. What we have is a platform for winning an election.”
He issued a stark warning, stating that the country is dangerously close to collapse under the current administration.
“Our country is gradually moving in the wrong direction to a place where you can say Nigeria is on the verge of liquidation, presided over by Bola Tinubu,” Secondus declared.
Highlighting the growing disconnect between political parties and the grassroots, Secondus stressed the need for stronger institutional linkages from the ward level upward.
“Everyone in the communities, the political parties, is supposed to be a chain of command from the wards and from the units,” he said.
He contrasted Nigeria’s weak political institutions with South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), which he described as “an unshakable institution.”
The former PDP chairman also condemned the pervasive culture of party-switching in Nigeria, arguing that it undermines democratic development and hinders the emergence of lasting political structures.
Commending Ike Abonyi for his literary contributions, Secondus underscored the importance of documentation in strengthening democratic accountability.
“Until we establish proper democratic political parties where people can stay 30, 40, 50 years, build and reconstruct, the country will not move forward,” he said.
