The emergence of the Obidients—fervent supporters of Nigerian politician Peter Obi—has added another layer of vitality to the country’s democracy, which has the potential to make the country’s political landscape even more competitive.
Although Nigeria has been a multiparty state for the majority of its democratic existence, except for the 1992/1993 electoral season when General Ibrahim Babangida imposed a two-party system, the country’s political system, since 1999, has rarely been as diverse as it was before and following the 2023 elections. The emergence of the Obidients—fervent supporters of Nigerian politician Peter Obi—has added another layer of vitality to the country’s democracy, which has the potential to make the country’s political landscape even more competitive. Nevertheless, while a case can be made for a growing democracy, there still remains ethnic bigotry and religious intolerance across the country, which, among other reasons, remains a clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s development...
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