Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly working to weaken opposition parties and push Nigeria towards a one-party system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She made the allegation while speaking with Newsmen, where she said Nigeria’s political space is already under strain, warning that both insecurity and economic hardship are compounding public frustration across the country.
Bucknor-Akerele said the current situation reflects what she described as a dangerous phase in the nation’s democratic journey, arguing that ordinary Nigerians are bearing the brunt of poor governance and worsening living conditions.
She said, “We are in a very dangerous political climate at the moment. We are in danger of being swamped by insurgents and also losing ground economically. The economic situation is really disastrous. Most people are finding it difficult to eat one square meal a day, and this is a tragic situation for us.”
She also alleged that the ruling party is deliberately reaching into opposition structures to weaken them from within, insisting that such political strategies are aimed at reducing competition ahead of future elections.
Bucknor-Akerele said, “Look at what is happening to all the political parties. The main party is trying to infiltrate all the political parties and turn Nigeria into a one-party state, and I do not think it can work.”
The former deputy governor, who served under Bola Tinubu between 1999 and 2002, also revisited her time in office, saying her political disagreement with the then Lagos governor stemmed from differences in ideology and party direction.
She said both of them had contrasting approaches to governance and party leadership, which eventually made cooperation difficult during their tenure.
She said, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not want to work with me at all because he had a different agenda from what the AD stood for at that time. What he wanted was someone who would assist him in taking over the party, and I was not ready to do that, so we had our differences.”
Bucknor-Akerele maintained that her stance in public life has always been driven by principle rather than personal ambition, adding that political disagreements often reflect deeper struggles over control and direction within parties.
She insisted that despite current tensions in the political space, attempts to silence opposition voices or dominate the system will not succeed.
