If there's one thing the 2023 general election has been able to do it's that it has pushed the opposition to seriously put on its thinking cap. The current and unprecedented activity within the opposition, marks a significant departure from the country's recent political history where opposition had been largely seen as ineffective.

Not since the lead-up to the 2015 general elections has the opposition displayed such fervent engagement.


This newfound activism is rooted in a shared concern – the perceived threat to democracy. The elections, widely criticized majorly by the opposition for a lack of transparency, coupled with court judgments viewed as unduly influenced by the ruling party, the APC, have fueled anxieties about the state of Nigeria's democratic institutions.


In response to what the main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), deems as the APC's pursuit of a one-party state, former Vice President and PDP's presidential candidate in the last elections, Atiku Abubakar, has proposed a unified front among opposition parties.

During a meeting with the national executive committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), led by its national president, Yabagi Sani, Atiku accused the APC of steering Nigeria toward a one-party dictatorship. He warned that failure to challenge the ruling party's trajectory could have severe consequences for the country's democracy, impacting generations yet unborn.

As discussions unfold regarding Atiku's call for opposition unity, questions arise about the direction he envisions. What does the unity of opposition parties entail, and how can it counter the perceived threats to democracy? Drawing from Nigeria's historical context, where past coalitions led to significant political shifts, what parallels can be drawn to the current situation? And the end, will democracy win or is it just about self interest?