One-party system harmful to Nigeria’s democracy -Yiaga Africa

By Editor

The Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu has warned that Nigeria’s democratic system is increasingly being threatened by the growing drift towards a one-party system, insisting that democracy can only thrive through genuine multi-party competition.

The Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, gave the warning during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a three-day Art4Democracy Lab for young creatives in Abuja, organised by Yiaga Africa with support from the Open Society Foundations.

According to her, democracy demands an environment where both ruling and opposition parties play active roles in accountability, checks and balances, and defending constitutional values.

“Our democracy is still a journey. We cannot confidently say we have achieved the democracy Nigerians envision. One of the major threats facing us is the increasing tendency towards a one-party system. A one-party system is not democracy. Democracy thrives on multi-party competition, where ruling and opposition parties ensure accountability and checks on the system,” Mbamalu said.

She noted that young people must remain hopeful and committed to democratic principles despite the impunity displayed by the political class.

She said, “The moment we lose hope, we stop fighting. Elected leaders are accountable to citizens. Nigerians must understand the power they hold. If we mobilised effectively, we outnumber the political elite.”

The Yiaga Africa top official lamented that divisions along ethnic, religious and political lines weaken citizens’ ability to demand accountability, adding that the political class benefits from such divisions.

She said this is why civic education remains central to Yiaga’s work, with young people making up about 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population, she noted that the future of the country depends on their participation in political and governance processes.

Speaking on the Art4Democracy initiative, Mbamalu explained that the programme brought together 50 young creatives from 20 states to explore how art can be deployed to drive civic engagement, leadership values and political participation.

Participants were trained in art-based advocacy and tasked with developing civic-oriented ideas to promote social cohesion, national identity and active citizenship.

The top five groups will receive N1 million each to implement their projects within two months.

One of the participants, poet and gender advocate Balogun Teniola Nafisat, urged young Nigerians not to exchange their votes for money, warning that short-term gains result in long-term suffering.

She said, “You cannot sacrifice four years of suffering for a few naira notes. Local government elections matter. They affect your roads, water supply and sanitation. If you sell your vote, you cannot expect accountability or good governance.”