.say democracy without opposition is dictatorship
By Our Reporter
Ahead of 2027 General Elections, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to democratic ideals, calling on stakeholders to safeguard the nation’s political system and prevent actions that could lead to unrest in the country.
Iba Adams made the call at the grand finale of the 21-day annual Eledumare Festival, organised by the Olokun Festival Foundation, which took place in Lagos, and attended by traditional rulers, community leaders, and dignitaries from across Yorubaland, expressing concern over what he termed declining tolerance for opposition parties in Nigeria’s democratic system.
They include Oba Oyeyinka Fatusi, the Onifako of Ifako Kingdom; Oba Akeem Agbaosi Eweobaja, the Alaguda of Aguda Land; Oba (Dr.) Joseph Oludaisi Okikiola Olu made, the Olu of Agbegise Kingdom; Chief (Barr.) Babajide Tanimowo, National Secretary of OPC, Chief Dauda Asikolaye, among others.
The Yoruba generalissimo, while raising concerns over what he described as growing threats to Nigeria’s democracy, said those who fought for Nigeria’s democracy, including himself, would not remain silent in the face of perceived threats.
He warned that "a democracy without opposition is becoming a dictatorship,” stressing that judicial actions perceived as targeting opposition groups could undermine public confidence in the system.
Iba Adams, while citing historical precedents, including the 1993 Presidential Election annulment, to illustrate how judicial and political decisions could destabilise the nation, however, appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the judiciary to review what he described as questionable injunctions and rulings affecting political parties.
He warned that weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 General Elections could create conditions for political instability, urging politicians to act in the national interest rather than pursue narrow agendas.
"As we celebrate the grand finale of the Eledumare Festival today, it is essential to lend a voice to a salient issue confronting our nation's democracy - tolerance for opposition parties.
"A democracy without opposition is becoming a dictatorship. Even when a former military man was running our democracy, the judiciary was reasonably independent. It was not being used indirectly to disrupt the opposition parties as we currently do.
"It is now clear that the opposition already have a mindset that they can never get justice from our court, starting with the Federal High Courts, to the Appeal Courts and to the Supreme Court. Some Supreme Court judgements will be given as a 50-50 such that the interpretation will be difficult and the government in power will capitalise on that.
"The annulment of the 1993 presidential election was caused by an injunction given to two people by Justice Bassey Ikpeme. On the eve of the election, Chief Arthur Nzeribe and Abimbola Davies went to court in the evening at about 5pm to get an injunction that the election should not hold.
"INEC decided to go ahead, stating that Nigeria had spent billions of Naira preparing for the election and an injunction procured in the evening of the election eve could not be used to stop it. After the freest and fairest election, on June 23, 1993, the military capitalised on it, among many other excuses, and annulled the election. It was the beginning of many troubles for Nigeria as a nation.
"I am a citizen of Nigeria. I will not say because someone from our tribe is in power, we will now keep quiet in the face of wrongdoings. This is about my future, the future of my children and generations unborn. If we do not speak up now, our children will ask tomorrow what we did when things were going wrong.
"As the Aare Ona Kakanfo, I get several calls from Nigerians living overseas on what I am doing about many situations going on in the country. It is time to say the truth in the interest of our dear nation, so that politicians will not put this country in a state of anarchy and then flee," he stated.
"We strongly appeal to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the entire judiciary, to look into the judgements and injunctions being given by some judges, mostly against the opposition parties, as they are capable of negatively affecting our democracy.
"We appeal that a decisive action should be taken now so that it will not be recorded in history that when she was the head of the country's judicial system, judges destroyed the nation's democracy through their court pronouncements.
"In the past, the Supreme Court had ruled that courts have no right to intervene in the affairs of political parties. So, why are we having the recent recurrences whereby moles planted in opposition political parties are using the instrumentality of the courts to unsettle opposition parties.
"Take for instance, one of the opposition parties that had a strong showing in the last general elections. The back and forth of court judgements have impacted the party negatively such that the party is now barely surviving. It is the same story with the opposition party that was once a ruling party. The same pattern is now being observed with the new opposition party that was formed by some coalitions.
"The big question now is: Are we creating an impression that by January 2027, there will be no solid opposition to the ruling party as the nation heads into the general elections? We have to be careful; we must not create room for crises to happen in this country.
"In the event that politicians allow politically-induced crises to unsettle this country, with the population that we have, where will our massive population go to seek refuge. We must be guided in our actions. The whole world is watching. And today, the media is so multi-faceted that nobody can suppress information in the media.
"So, we appeal to the politicians to ensure that they do not destroy our democracy through their actions or while trying to protect selfish interests.
"I am making this call because I was one of the people that fought for this democracy. Given the sacrifices we made for a period of six years, we will not keep quiet and allow anybody to destroy it while we are still in existence," he added.
Speaking further, the Yoruba generalissimo, in the spirit of the occasion, called on monarchs across the region to take deliberate steps to document and preserve their histories and traditions.
Iba Adams, in particular, advocated the establishment of mini-museums within or near royal palaces to serve as repositories of cultural heritage, noting that such efforts would not only safeguard history for future generations but also educate indigenes and visitors about the evolution of their communities.
Adams also praised the Egba people for what he described as a successful hosting of the 2026 Lisabi/Olumo Festival, highlighting the massive turnout and economic impact of the event.
He noted that hotels were fully booked ahead of the celebration and that business activities were temporarily suspended to allow full participation, expressing the belief that the festival’s growing prominence could position it alongside other major cultural events in Yorubaland.
Speaking on the significance of Olokun Festival Foundation, Adams said the event had continued to serve as a platform for promoting culture, tourism, and communal harmony over the past 14 years.
He noted that this year’s festival featured a wide range of activities, including prayers, sporting competitions, fashion displays, and humanitarian outreach to vulnerable groups such as widows and orphanages.
According to Iba Adams, the festival not only celebrates God but also stimulates local economies and fosters unity across host communities.
The Yoruba generalissimo commended traditional rulers and stakeholders for sustaining the initiative, expressing optimism that the festival could eventually attain a scale that would warrant regional public holidays.
Earlier, Chairman, planning committee and Parakoyi Aare Ona Kakanfo, Prof. Kolawole Raheem, described the festival as a rare spiritual knowledge of the celebration of the supreme being, Eledumare.
This was just as he also expressed the belief that the festival will become a festival to be celebrated across the country and worldwide.
"We need to consistently seek the face of Eledumare especially at a time Nigerians and indeed the world is going through a turbulence phase in its history. The festival will become a festival to be celebrated across the country and worldwide” he said.
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