The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under increasing pressure, warning that the suppression of opposition voices and protests could endanger the country’s political stability.
The National Chairman of the party, Engr. Yabagi Sani issued the warning on Monday while presenting the ADP State of the Nation Address in Abuja where he critiqued the governance, security, economy and democratic space since the inauguration of the Tinubu administration in May 2023.
Sani said democracy rests not only on elections, but also on pluralism, inclusion and civic trust, and argued that the reduction of civic space and intolerance of dissent point to deeper challenges.
According to him, protests and union actions at the national level should be seen as signs of a crisis of representation and not as acts of anarchy. “When the opposition feels it has nothing at stake, democracy suffocates,” he said, warning that democratic systems often collapse not only through coups, but also through gradual political exclusion.
Beyond democratic concerns, the ADP president painted a bleak picture of national security and described Nigeria as a nation living in fear. He cited estimates from independent security trackers that more than 15,000 people have been killed between 2023 and mid-2025 due to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence, while more than 3.5 million Nigerians remain internally displaced.
Despite defense spending now exceeding N4 trillion a year, Sani argued that insecurity persists due to systemic failures rather than lack of manpower. He cited weak intelligence coordination, political interference, corruption and lack of accountability as major obstacles, insisting that recycling people within a broken system cannot provide security.
On the economy, the ADP president said the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange regime had resulted in unprotected pain for millions of Nigerians.
He noted that inflation exceeded 33 percent in 2024, and food inflation exceeded 40 percent, while the naira depreciated sharply, eroding savings and purchasing power.
Although official data suggests inflation pressures will moderate by the end of 2025, Sani said ordinary Nigerians continue to face high food prices, transportation costs, rent and school fees.
He criticized what he described as weak and inconsistent social protection measures, arguing that reforms without buffers amount to economic punishment.
Sani also expressed concern over public finances and budget performance, describing Nigeria’s fiscal position as a credibility crisis. He said that by the end of 2025, less than 20 percent of the capital budget had been released, stalling critical infrastructure projects.
The public debt, he added, has exceeded N100 trillion, with debt servicing consuming more than 60 per cent of federal revenue.
The energy sector came under fire, with the ADP president noting that Nigeria generates less than 5,000 megawatts of electricity for a population of more than 220 million.
He warned that industrialization is impossible without reliable power and estimated that companies lose tens of billions of dollars annually due to electricity shortages.
In the oil and gas sector, Sani accused successive administrations of tolerating mismanagement, regulatory capture and crude oil theft. He said Nigeria loses between 100,000 and 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily due to theft and leaks, equivalent to billions of dollars in lost revenue. The problem, he argued, is central to the impossibility of implementing transparent measurement throughout the value chain.
On social indicators, the ADP president said Nigeria now has more than 130 million people living in multidimensional poverty, while up to 35 million may face acute food insecurity by 2026.
He linked hunger and poverty to insecurity in farming communities and rising input costs, and described hunger as structural, not seasonal.
He also highlighted challenges in education and healthcare, noting that Nigeria has more than 20 million out-of-school children and continues to lose thousands of doctors annually due to emigration.
Presenting the ADP as an alternative, he said the party is committed to responsible security reform, a production-based economy, disciplined public finances, food security, the political inclusion of women and youth-driven development.
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