President Bola Tinubu has denied that he intends to destroy the opposition and transform Nigeria into a one-party state.

On Wednesday, the president addressed during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the presidential house in Abuja.

Addressing the legislators, Tinubu stated that criticism is unavoidable in public service, adding that his detractors had accused him of “killing opposition.”

“What they call you, any name, any nickname, critics must talk. When they accused me of killing opposition, I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence seeing as I have the authority,” he said.

Tinubu also stated that the country’s present issues, such as terrorism and banditry, necessitate unity rather than separation, and urged Nigerians to align with the goal of the country’s founding fathers.

“But I can’t blame anybody for jumping out of a sinking ship. What we have faced in the challenging period of this country, the terrorism and banditry, is causing us havoc,” he added.

“And we should pull together, unite in a way that our forefathers contemplated to bring about a constitutional democracy and pull us together. They didn’t say we should fight. It’s a good thing that we are working in harmony.”

The president also defended his administration’s economic reforms, saying they were achieved through collective effort and were aimed at tackling corruption.

“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together,” he said.

“What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.”

He added that the reforms have placed the country on a path of stability and economic recovery.

“You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you can see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud of this great moment, and I am glad you are,” the president said.

“What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me.”

BACKSTORY
President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly criticized opposition parties, notably during his 2025 Democracy Day address to the National Assembly, where he said he was pleased to see them weaken themselves through internal conflicts.

At the time, the PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP were battling crises that triggered defections to the ruling APC, and they accused the APC of fueling their divisions to create a one-party state.

Tinubu rejected the claim, insisting he supports political plurality and saying the opposition should fix its internal problems instead of blaming his party.

He reiterated his stance at the APC’s July NEC meeting, where he also encouraged governors from other parties to defect to the APC.

“It is not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” Tinubu said.