“No matter how strong any party becomes, no matter how popular any government may appear, the presence of credible opposition is not a threat to democracy; it is what sustains democracy.”
Welcome to Ibadan.
Across Nigeria today, we are witnessing a level of political concentration that should concern all of us.
A significant majority of state governments are aligned under one party. There are open efforts to consolidate legislative control under one party.
At the same time, opposition parties are increasingly entangled in internal crises and legal battles that raise serious questions about their ability to function effectively.
Taken individually, each of these may have its own explanation.
But taken together, they point to a pattern where the space for real political competition is disappearing.
This is not something we should treat lightly. Because democracy is not destroyed overnight, it is weakened step by step until people begin to feel it no longer works for them.
Whether one agrees with this concern or not, it is no longer something we can dismiss. Because when opposition becomes ineffective, democracy itself begins to lose meaning.
We must be clear about what this means.
Democracy is not defined by the success of one party. It is defined by the existence of real alternatives, by the ability of citizens to choose, and by the confidence that those choices matter.
Once that disappears, what we have may still be called democracy, but it will no longer function as one.
That this discussion is happening here in Ibadan, is not by accident. Ibadan has always served as the political capital of South-West Nigeria.
Back in 1950, this city, hosted a conversation that helped shape Nigeria’s constitutional future.
Those discussions were not perfect, but they were necessary. They were driven by a recognition that the structure of a nation must be deliberately built, protected, and, when necessary, debated.
In many ways, this gathering we are having here today, carries that same responsibility.
Let me also be clear about what this meeting is not…
It is not a gang-up against one man; and it is not about individual ambitions to be president.
It is about the collective ambition of the Nigerian people to have a democracy properly defined.
This is a gathering about something more fundamental, the survival of a system that allows Nigeria to remain open, competitive, and accountable.
Because democracy without opposition is not democracy, it is a slow drift toward a one-party state.
And Nigeria must not make that drift.
The truth is simple. No matter how strong any party becomes, no matter how popular any government may appear, the presence of credible opposition is not a threat to democracy, it is what sustains democracy.
If we allow opposition to weaken, whether by design or by neglect, then we all bear the consequences.
So, this is not a moment for fragmentation. It is not a moment for silence. And it is certainly not a moment to disengage politically.
It is a moment to think clearly, to speak honestly, and to act with a sense of responsibility that goes beyond party lines.
Nigeria has come too far to pretend that this does not matter.
And the responsibility to ensure that it does not go further than it should belongs to all of us.
Thank you and God bless you.
•Welcome Address by Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, at the National Summit of Opposition Political Leaders, themed “Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democracy: A National Dialogue”, held at the Banquet Hall, Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, on Saturday, 25 April, 2026.
