The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Lawal Musa Daura, has called for an inclusive government that will bring together Nigerians across political, ethnic and religious divides to address the country's challenges.
Daura made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during the party's manifesto unveiling, where he described inclusivity, mutual respect and national dialogue as essential ingredients for sustainable democracy and national development.
He noted that opposition determines how much the government can handle political temperature or its ability to bring it down.
He maintained that opposition parties should be seen as complementary to government rather than enemies, arguing that a strong opposition helps to reduce political tension and strengthen democratic governance.
"Opposition is complementary to government, not enemies. Where there is no opposition, or no fair opposition, or no qualitative opposition, there is a problem,” he said.
The APM Vice-Presidential candidate also expressed worry that Nigeria's democracy was facing challenges due to what he described as unfair political competition and the suppression of opposition voices.
According to him, “democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere where political opponents are denied a fair playing field and citizens are prevented from freely expressing their choices.
“Democracy develops through tranquillity, understanding, respect for one another, honesty, sincerity, and the like. But in an atmosphere where none of such is available, there is a threat to democracy itself.”
Daura said the intention of the APM-led administration in 2027 is to promote justice, fairness and genuine representation, insisting that its political ambition was driven by the interest of Nigerians.
2027: Opposition strengthens democracy - APM VP candidate, Daura, warns against suppression