Buba Galadima, a prominent elder statesman and chieftain of the opposition, has sharply criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Federal Government, accusing them of erecting deliberate obstacles to suppress opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
​Speaking during a live broadcast on Arise Television’s Prime Time program in Abuja on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Galadima asserted that the political space in Nigeria is rapidly shrinking, warning that the current administration’s actions threaten the core tenets of the nation’s democratic system.
​During the broadcast hosted by Arise News anchors, Galadima alleged that opposition candidates are encountering systemic resistance, harassment, and violence when attempting to travel across the country to mobilize voters.
​”There are blocks put in the path of the opposition. This APC and its government does not want any opposition person to campaign in any part of the country, as they are stoned wherever they go,” Galadima said during the broadcast. “They also want to make life impossible for those opposite them.”
​He questioned the legitimacy of calling the nation’s political system a democracy under such conditions, suggesting the ruling party’s heavy-handed tactics lean closer to authoritarianism.
​”So, why should we call it democracy? We can just as well call it fascism, or dictatorship, or monarchy,” he added. “They can’t claim to be democrats and not imbibe the tenets of democracy, which is free choice, free speech, free movement, and that is in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
​Galadima also raised alarm over exorbitant state-level charges for political advertising, claiming that inflated regulatory fees effectively force opposition candidates to breach electoral spending laws or forgo basic visibility.
​Highlighting the discrepancy between local billboard pricing and national spending caps under the Electoral Act, Galadima pointed to extreme fees in key territories:
​”Do you know how much they are asking for one billboard in Abuja? In Imo, it is N1 billion. One billboard, not the whole state. Just to fix one billboard, you pay N1 billion,” Galadima stated. “So, if you have to pay every state one billion, and you pay 37 states, which is 37 billion naira, including Abuja, did you run foul of the Act or not?”
​Under the Electoral Act, presidential campaign spending is capped at N10 billion. Galadima argued that high state-level signage fees create a structural trap that disadvantages any campaign attempting to stay within legal spending limits.
​Galadima’s remarks come amidst heightened political tensions as major opposition political figures maneuver to form alliances and challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. Opposition leaders have increasingly voiced concerns over political intimidation, state-level regulatory hurdles, and shrinking press freedom ahead of the next electoral cycle.
​As of Wednesday morning, spokesperson representatives for the APC National Working Committee and the Federal Ministry of Information have not issued an official response to Galadima’s allegations.
