Political analyst Amobi Ihegboro, popularly known as Mazi on Thursday, warned the Federal Government against actions that could intimidate opposition parties and shrink Nigeria’s political space, saying democracy thrives when opposing voices are allowed to operate freely.

Speaking on VOP This Morning’s programme on VOP TV, Mr Ihegboro called for greater political tolerance, transparent investigations into election-related violence and credible electoral reforms, warning that suppressing opposition parties could deepen public sympathy for them and push the country towards instability.

Mr Ihegboro argued that attempts to restrict opposition activities could undermine democratic principles and create unnecessary political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“How can you shrink the political space? I think democracy thrives more when the opposition also thrives, and by extension… people are very sympathetic with the oppressed usually in a society,” he said.

He urged the government to exercise caution in its dealings with opposition parties, stressing that political competition should not be treated as a threat to the ruling administration.

“So government should be a little bit more careful in handling opposition political parties the way they are going,” he added.

Ihegboro demands transparent police investigation

The analyst also called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into recent rally clashes, particularly following the arrest of a suspect linked to the violence.

He urged the police to go beyond arresting suspects and establish the identities of those who may have sponsored or facilitated the clashes.

Mr Ihegboro warned against allowing investigations into politically motivated violence to be abandoned without accountability, insisting that those responsible should be identified and brought to justice.

Calls for electronic voting, result transmission

On electoral reforms, Mr Ihegboro advocated a reliable electronic voting system and electronic transmission of election results to reduce electoral manipulation, violence and the influence of money in the political process.

He questioned why Nigeria could not deploy technology to improve election administration when financial transactions could be conducted electronically across the country.

The analyst also described the current political atmosphere as unusually tense, comparing it with previous political cycles dating back to 1979.

He attributed the intensity of political competition partly to the enormous financial benefits associated with holding public office, arguing that the high stakes have contributed to growing political hostility.

Mr Ihegboro maintained that protecting political participation, ensuring accountability for election-related violence and strengthening electoral technology were necessary steps towards safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy ahead of 2027.

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