Some stakeholders in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, have called for respect and tolerance of opposition in the country, saying that stifling it would hinder democratic progress.

The stakeholders who spoke in separate interviews on Monday in Abakaliki warned against criminalising or stifling opposition.

According to them, in a democracy, political plurality is not only expected but also protected, adding that opposition is needed to keep leaders in check.

They warned of growing concern over perceived hostility toward opposition voices.

Paul Okorie, the 2019 governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, said that muzzling opposition voices through threats and intimidation would hinder democracy and democratic growth.

The politician, a leading opposition figure in Ebonyi, said that constructive opposition was the oil that drove democracy.

He stated that belonging to an opposition group should not be viewed as a crime, arguing that the current All Progressives Congress administration emerged as an opposition party in 2015 to become a ruling party under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Opposition serves as checks and balances on the ruling party and the government in power,” he added.

Chidi Nwankwo, an Abuja-based constitutional lawyer, stated that being in opposition is not only legal but also essential for democracy to thrive.

“Being in the opposition is not only legal, it is essential for democracy to thrive; any attempt to criminalise opposition is a threat to our constitutional order,” he said.

Philips Arua, a student at Ebonyi State University, expressed frustration, saying that once you openly support an opposition party, you would be seen as an enemy.

Nnanna Okorie, a trader in Abakaliki, recounted his experience in the 2023 elections, where he supported a Labour Party candidate in the Ebonyi North senatorial district election.

“I supported a Labour Party candidate during the last elections. Since then, I’ve been labeled and targeted,” said Mr Okorie. “It is like being in opposition means you do not deserve government benefits anymore.”

A political analyst, Mike Igwe, warned that stifling opposition voices could lead to the emergence of authoritarianism.

“Democracy dies not in a day, but in silence; once the opposition is gagged, the road to tyranny is paved. As Nigeria prepares for 2027 elections, the right to belong to any political party must remain sacrosanct; being in the opposition is not a crime, it is a constitutional right,” Mr Igwe said.

However, Eugene Nweke, a former deputy chancellor (academic) at EBSU, stated that in politics, people devise strategies to win and secure their votes, and hence deploy means that help them achieve their desires.

But, he maintained that the use of intimidation and threats to outwit or muzzle opposition elements was not in line with democratic principles in all angles.

Maureen Elom, a civil servant, argued that while opposition was vital, many so-called opposition members engaged in deliberate misinformation and incitement.

(NAN)