The Destroying Tool in Nigeria's Opposition and APC Political Setting
The Cancer That Eats Both Ruling Party and Opposition
Nigeria is drowning. Not in floodwaters alone, but in something far more insidious – tribalism. From the corridors of power in Abuja to the campaign trails in Lagos, ethnic sentiment has become the dominant currency of political discourse, overshadowing policy, competence, and national interest.
The tragedy is that tribalism is not the exclusive weapon of any single party. It is a destroying tool wielded by both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition parties – ADC, APM, NDC, and others. It fractures parties from within, poisons inter-party competition, and leaves Nigerians with a choice not between competing visions, but between competing ethnic identities.
As one analyst put it, "Ethnopolitics is more dangerous to Nigeria than insecurity". It has "mothered, enabled, and sustained" the criminalities plaguing the nation. Yet, political actors continue to weaponise it – because "a divided people are easier to manipulate than a united people".
Tribalism Within the APC – A House Divided Against Itself
The ruling party is not immune to the ethnic virus. In fact, some of the most glaring examples of tribal politicking come from within the APC's own ranks.
Plateau – Minority Groups Cry Marginalisation
Minority ethnic groups across the Plateau North senatorial zone have voiced strong dissatisfaction over what they describe as systematic exclusion and marginalization within the APC. Despite their "long-standing dedication and substantial contributions to the party's growth," leadership roles remain concentrated within a single dominant group.
The Plateau North Equity Project, representing these communities, expressed deep concern that "strategic party rewards—including recent chairmanship decisions and senatorial candidacy discussions for the upcoming 2027 cycle—have allegedly been handed right back to the dominant community". The group warned that "history is about to repeat itself" unless the APC leadership urgently restructures its internal distribution of political offices.
Lagos – 'Tribal War' Against Igbo Lawmaker
In Lagos, tribalism has taken an uglier turn. Henry Ajomale, a member of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), has vowed to ensure that the Member of House of Representatives for Oshodi-Isolo II, Okey-Joe Onuakaluasi – an Igbo man – is unseated.
Ajomale lamented that "people who came from distant states are depriving Yorubas of what belongs to them". In a speech delivered in Yoruba, he declared: "Yoruba land is more important to us. If they move irrationally, we will reduce them to size this time around".
He further stated: "When a Yoruba man was there, we were getting some benefits. But in the case of this man, he took everything to Nnewi. This time around, we want our own child to be there, so we can benefit from what belongs to us. An Igbo man mustn't come here to slap our faces".
This is not politics. This is ethnic warfare dressed in political garb.
The Bigger Picture – APC's Ethnic Fault Lines
The APC Southeastern members have also faced controversy, with "tribalistic undertones" and calls for Southeastern members to exit the party. The party's internal ethnic tensions are a microcosm of Nigeria's broader divisions. As one observer noted, "under the APC, division instead of unity" has become the norm, with "tribal tensions and religious relationships" deepening rather than healing.
Tribalism in the Opposition – The Same Disease, Different Hosts
If the APC is afflicted by tribalism, the opposition is equally infected. The very parties that claim to offer an alternative to APC's ethnic politics are themselves trapped in the same destructive logic.
The Zoning Trap – Opposition Parties Divide Themselves
The debate over zoning and rotation has exposed deep ethnic fault lines within opposition parties. The NDC's decision to zone its presidential ticket exclusively to the South for a single four-year term was widely criticised as a "recipe for distrust and opposition failure". By restricting a presidential ticket to a single region, the party not only "insults the intelligence of voters" but also "sows seeds of deeper distrust within its own ranks."
Showunmi's Warning – Abandon Ethnic Politics
Otunba Segun Showunmi, Convener of The Alternative, has issued a stark warning to opposition forces: abandon ethnic-based politics and embrace the formation of "structured, ideologically driven political parties" as a pathway to rescuing Nigeria's democracy.
Showunmi warned against what he described as the persistent "tribal and ethnic mindset" undermining national development, insisting that Nigeria's unity must be anchored on shared values rather than sectional loyalties. "We have to take Nigeria and become one nation, built on a non-tribal, non-ethnic mindset," he said.
He cautioned that failure to transcend ethnic divisions could have far-reaching consequences: "If we insist on running an ethnic-based system, then it may be better to reconsider the entire structure, so that each group can determine its own path based on its peculiar values and culture".
Atiku vs Babachir – Ethnic Stigmatisation
Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has also condemned the use of ethnic stigmatisation for political gain. In a blistering response to former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, Atiku accused him of "promoting ethnic prejudice, peddling conspiracy theories and deepening divisions".
Atiku warned that "it was both dangerous and irresponsible to suggest that any Nigerian should be judged, condemned, or held accountable for crimes committed by individuals simply because they share a common ancestry". He added: "By such flawed reasoning, every ethnic nationality in Nigeria could be collectively blamed for the actions of a few criminal elements within their communities, a mindset that has historically fuelled division and undermined national unity".
Peter Obi's Call – Reject Tribal Politics
NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has also warned young Nigerians against falling victim to tribal politics and identity-driven agendas. He noted that "politicians often use ethnicity and religion to divide Nigerians when they cannot compete based on ideas, performance or vision".
"History has shown that whenever political competition becomes difficult on merit, some actors resort to identity politics, exploiting ethnicity, religion and social fault lines to gain advantage," Obi said. He urged Nigerians to "decisively abandon the dangerous practice of blaming entire ethnic groups for the actions of a few criminals".
The Destructive Consequences – Why Tribalism Is Destroying Nigeria's Politics
1. Policy Takes a Backseat to Identity
When elections are fought on ethnic lines, governance suffers. As one analyst observed, discussions that should have focused on "competence, leadership, and development were deliberately redirected toward tribal divisions". Nigerians are denied the opportunity to debate real issues – poverty, insecurity, unemployment – because politicians find it easier to mobilise along ethnic lines.
2. National Cohesion Erodes
The North-South dichotomy is once again dominating political discourse. Northern leaders argue that by 2027, the South would have dominated the presidency for 18 of the 26 years since 1999, leaving the North with only 10 years. The South-East insists it has never produced a president. The North-Central demands recognition.
These grievances are real – but they are being exploited rather than resolved. The result is a nation increasingly divided along ethnic and regional lines, with each election deepening the fault lines rather than healing them.
3. Democracy Itself Is Threatened
As one analysis warns, "Nigeria is falling into a new political order, one in which power is more concentrated than at any point since 1999, and elections are increasingly fought through identity, money, and control of state machinery rather than ideas".
The danger heading into 2027 is that "an already tense atmosphere will be increasingly seen as a battle between 'us' and 'them'". When politics becomes ethnic warfare, democracy loses – and authoritarianism gains.
4. Opposition Unity Becomes Impossible
Perhaps the most tragic consequence of tribalism is its effect on opposition unity. As Dele Momodu noted, elections are won through "strategy and numbers, not emotions or online popularity". But when opposition parties are themselves divided along ethnic lines, they cannot present a united front against the APC.
The result is a self-fulfilling prophecy: tribalism keeps the opposition divided, the APC exploits that division, and Nigerians are left with no real alternative.
The Path Forward – Can Nigeria Escape the Tribal Trap?
1. Abandon Ethnic Politics
Showunmi's call is clear: opposition forces must "abandon ethnic-based politics and embrace the formation of structured, ideologically driven political parties". Only "well-structured parties with defined philosophies can produce the kind of leadership required to reposition the country".
2. Build Ideological, Not Ethnic, Parties
Nigeria's first political parties were designed to reflect ethnic interests rather than a collective one. That legacy must be broken. Political parties must be built on ideas, not identities – on policy platforms that address the needs of all Nigerians, regardless of tribe or region.
3. Reject Ethnic Stereotyping
As Atiku and Obi have both argued, Nigerians must "stop stigmatising ethnic groups for political gain". "Crime has no tribe" – and neither does competence, integrity, or vision.
4. Unite Against the Common Enemy
Senator Adolphus Wabara has called on politicians to "rise above partisan, ethnic and religious divides and unite against bad leadership". The common enemy is not any ethnic group – it is poor governance, corruption, and the politics of division.
A Nation at a Crossroads
Tribalism is the destroying tool in Nigeria's political setting – and it is being wielded by both the APC and the opposition. It fractures parties from within, poisons competition, and denies Nigerians the governance they deserve.
The 2027 election is approaching. If Nigerians continue to vote along ethnic lines, we will continue to get leaders who govern for their tribes, not for the nation. If opposition parties continue to fragment along ethnic lines, the APC will coast to victory without offering any real competition.
The choice is stark: abandon tribalism and build a politics of ideas – or continue down this destructive path and watch Nigeria's democracy crumble.
As Showunmi warned: "If we insist on running an ethnic-based system, then it may be better to reconsider the entire structure, so that each group can determine its own path based on its peculiar values and culture".
That is not a threat. It is a prophecy – unless Nigerians choose differently.
The time to choose is now
