The United Kingdom High Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki held extensive discussions regarding the state of Nigeria’s democracy in Abuja on Thursday.
The High Commission’s delegation was led by Dr. Fortune Aldred, Senior Political Adviser, and Stephen Asek, Political Adviser (Cameroon).
Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, stated that the meeting deliberated on the health of Nigeria’s democracy and the role and relevance of the opposition within the democratic process.
According to Ememobong, the interactive session centered on the ‘current asphyxiation of the opposition, the prolonged state-sponsored leadership crisis in the PDP, the potential candidature of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 elections, and the general outlook for the 2026 elections.’
In his presentation, Turaki reiterated the party’s position on the ‘need to ensure the survival of multi-party democracy and the opposition, which remain critical pillars of a thriving democratic system.’
He further argued that the current ‘state capture’ disposition of the APC-led Federal Government has directly contributed to heightened political tension, a trend he described as unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy.
‘The political temperature of the country has risen to fever-pitch levels, traceable majorly to the actions and inactions of the APC-led Federal Government, who are relentlessly provocative in their desire to forcefully capture every part of our country,’ Turaki stated.
Responding on behalf of the delegation, the team leader, Dr. Fortune Aldred, thanked the party leadership for the engagement and assured them that the issues raised would be conveyed through the Commission’s established reporting channels.
Dr. Aldred further noted that while Nigeria is a sovereign nation and its internal politics remain a domestic affair, the Commission has a responsibility to monitor political developments and communicate its observations through established diplomatic avenues.