“This moment calls for deliberate action in defence of democracy; action in defence of our citizenship; action in defence of principle and honour. Yes, this moment demands our collective action, which makes this national summit most important and apt.”
No moment in our political history since independence best exemplifies Shakespeare’s immortal proclamation in Julius Caesar, that “There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now affloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”
We are at the cusp of history– the political stage is set; the dramatis personae are all ready; and time is passing by very quickly. But one thing is pending, which the world earnestly awaits…our action. This is so important that even our inaction or refusal to act will be interpreted and recorded for us by history as an action.
Never in our democratic history have we faced the asphyxiation of the opposition as we are currently witnessing, and never have we danced so carelessly on the brink of becoming a one-party state.
The current embattled condition of the opposition in our country is the result of state-engineered crises tactically deployed to any political party with the prospect of putting up a challenge to the lacklustre-performing All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
We are gathered today with personal evidence of this onslaught. We are not speaking from hearsay or guesswork, but from concrete lived experience where renegade party members have been stupendously empowered to create problems within the party and ultimately sue the party, leaving it vulnerable.
National institutions that were created as guardrails on the express lane of electoral democracy have all been captured by this administration, sending the nation very close to the destination of self-help.
Today, the perception of these critical institutions is at its lowest ebb-a point of almost no recovery. The trust deficit has not only increased, but has also reached historic levels. Dear friends, there is an urgent need for action.
This moment calls for deliberate action in defence of democracy; action in defence of our citizenship; action in defence of principle and honour. Yes, this moment demands our collective action, which makes this national summit most important and apt.
We must deploy knowledge, tact, and strategy to undertake the onerous but doable task of dislodging the APC government in the interest of the survival of democracy and the emancipation of our citizens.
I am sure that by now, all of us have reached a consensus ad idem on the need to act, and expeditiously too. So I will very quickly leave us with questions, the answers to which should point us in the right direction of action:
•What if our parties are “taken” from us and given to their cronies, as they have been boasting?
•What if the Federal Government continues to double down on the constriction of the political space against the opposition?
•What if the persecution of opposition leaders does not abate?
•What if the ruling party, government, INEC, and other national institutions have concluded plans to make the country a one-party state?
The list of “what-ifs” is endless; and you can add yours.
My top-of-the-mind solution is the activation of a framework, which can be called the Ibadan Accord or Ibadan Declaration, which will be a joint opposition platform where the defence of democracy will be the paramount interest.
We must consider the parable of the single stick and the bunch of sticks.
Breaking a single stick is not a challenge even to a child, but when it is a bunch, it is a challenge even to the most powerful.
To succeed it is inevitable that we must come together. But in doing so, we must be guided by equity, fairness, and reality. We must not build castles in the air or work on unrealistic assumptions. We must use data as a guide to our analysis and listen to the voices of the people. The lessons learnt from the last three elections must serve as building blocks for this new assignment.
As I end my brief address, I urge us to agree to depart Ibadan with the resolve to work together to rescue Nigeria from the claws of this ruining party that has caused a progressive retrogression of our country in all material sectors, especially the economy and security.
I must commend the host of this summit, the Governor of Oyo State and a proud product of my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde, for standing up to be counted on the right side of history at a time like this. He has shown beyond question that he is indeed a true patriot who places national interest far above ethnic and other mundane issues. We are sure that his investment in the sustenance of democracy will bring humongous returns.
There are other leaders of our party and other opposition parties, like Governor Bala Mohammed, Sen. Adolphus Wabara etc., who, for good and understandable reasons, are not physically present here. We appreciate their sacrifices to our country and commitment to the sustenance of democracy.
I must also commend all other political parties that agreed to the convocation of this all- important summit, most of whom were contacted by agents of the government and urged not to attend.
You have just passed one of the tests of your integrity as leaders of the opposition. I know that more tests are enroute, and God will grant us the capacity to overcome all.
I wish all of us fruitful deliberations and successful outcomes. But do not forget; this is our time– let us not miss it. If we do, our country will be doomed.
•Being the address of Turaki, SAN, National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the National Summit of Opposition Political Parties, held in Ibadan on Saturday, 25 April, 2026.
