The Kwankwasiyya movement has faulted what they described “accelerated presidential assent” to controversial amendments of the Electoral Act.
The political group worried that despite widespread public protests, consistent civil society advocacy and expert warnings, President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the document raised serious concern especially on the democratic survival of the country.
In a release signed by spokesperson of the movement Dr. Habibu Sale Mohammed, Kwankwasiyya believed the clear public sentiment in favor of stronger electoral safeguards and against the will of both executive and national assembly laid bare the dangers of unchecked one-party dominance.
According to the opposition, the passage of the controversial Act in the face of the loud rejection in some portion of the Act, speaks volume on President Tinubu’s overwhelming influence on the national assembly.
Kwankwasiyya lamented that elected officials of the opposition parties who are now defecting to the ruling APC raised questions of integrity and ideological test.
The group said when a democracy which institutional build on check and balance now gradually driven to one party system, the consequences leaves much to desire.
“It is now evident that the All Progressives Congress (APC) exercises overwhelming influence across the Executive and the National Assembly, a dominance significantly strengthened by defections from elected officials who secured their mandates on the platforms of other political parties.
“These defections are not merely political movements; they raise serious moral and constitutional concerns. When elected representatives abandon the political platforms upon which they were entrusted with the peoples mandate without clear ideological justification or constituency consultation it amounts to a distortion of democratic representation.
“The mandate belongs to the electorate, not to the personal convenience of office holders. Nigerias democracy was designed to function on the principles of checks and balances.
“A vibrant opposition, legislative independence, and responsiveness to public opinion are foundational pillars of constitutional governance.
When defections
systematically weaken opposition ranks, legislative scrutiny diminishes, and executive proposals face reduced resistance regardless of public sentiment”. Mohammed said.
According to the group “The controversy surrounding the amended Electoral Act is a clear example. Despite nationwide demonstrations, position papers from respected civil society organizations, and broad public discourse calling for stronger guarantees of transparency, the ruling party ultimately secured its preferred legislative outcome.
“This sequence of events reinforces the perception that the growling numerical dominance in the legislature is translating into diminished accountability.
“Democracy rarely collapses suddenly. More often, it erodes gradually through the normalization of opportunistic defections, the shrinking of institutional opposition, and the passage of laws that fail to reflect the popular will.
“The concentration of power without effective counterbalance creates conditions where the voice of the electorate can be sidelined with minimal institutional resistance”.
Further more “The Kwankwasiyya Movement firmly believes that Nigeria must resist any drift toward de facto one-party dominance.
“Political pluralism, ideological competition, and respect for electoral mandates are essential to preserving democratic vitality.
“Defection should never become a shortcut to consolidate power at the expense of voters choices. We call on elected representatives to remember that their loyalty is first and foremost to the Nigerian people.
“We urge citizens to remain vigilant, peaceful, and actively engaged in safeguarding democratic institutions. Nigerias democracy belongs to its people. It must not be weakened by convenience, nor compromised by concentration of power”. Kwankwasiyya insisted.
