'PDP and APC Are Not Opposing Forces' — Activist Nwapa Blasts Both Parties for Sustaining State Violence, Suppression of Protests

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

A socialist activist and human rights advocate, Francis Nwapa, has accused administrations of the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly those of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, of deploying state institutions and security agencies to suppress protests and opposition to government policies, describing Nigeria's democracy as a "hollow shell." In a statement issued on Saturday, August 8, 2026, Nwapa argued that the country's democratic crisis was not the product of a single administration but a consequence of what he described as "capitalist rule" and the protection of the interests of the political and economic elite.

Nwapa cited the October 2020 #EndSARS protests and the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance demonstrations as examples of what he described as a recurring pattern of state repression. According to him, protesters demanding an end to police brutality during #EndSARS were met with deadly force at the Lekki Tollgate, while participants in the 2024 protests against hunger and economic hardship faced mass arrests, torture and prosecution. He also accused security agencies of abducting and detaining protest organisers during the #EndBadGovernance protests, specifically mentioning Michael Adaramoye Lenin, National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, whom he said was detained for 59 days, as well as Daniel Akande and other activists. He recalled how minors were detained for prolonged periods while protesters in Kaduna, Gombe, Katsina and Borno states suffered arrests and prosecution.

Nwapa also accused the government of using the judiciary and security agencies to frustrate protests, alleging that protesters and journalists were attacked in Lagos and that police officers assaulted some demonstrators. For Nwapa, the treatment of protesters demonstrated that the government viewed citizens demanding better living conditions as a threat. The activist, however, said repression in Nigeria did not begin with the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations that governed the country for 16 years before 2015 were equally responsible for sustaining what he described as a capitalist system. "The PDP and the APC are not opposing forces; they are rival factions of the same capitalist class," he said.

Nwapa also criticised the Cybercrimes Act, alleging that it has been used against journalists, activists and citizens critical of government policies. He further accused the National Assembly of weakening political pluralism through electoral laws that allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties that fail to win seats during an electoral cycle, citing the deregistration of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and National Conscience Party (NCP) as examples. According to him, such measures amount to the suppression of working-class political alternatives. Nwapa also accused the judiciary and anti-corruption institutions of lacking independence, citing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's handling of the Osun State government's accounts as an example of what he described as executive interference. He said the country's institutions could not effectively protect ordinary citizens if they remained vulnerable to political influence.

The activist called on Nigerian workers, students, traders, artisans, civil servants and youths to organise and resist what he described as the systematic repression of democratic rights. Nwapa's statement comes amid growing discontent over Nigeria's worsening economic conditions, including soaring inflation, rising food prices, and widespread unemployment, which have pushed millions of citizens into deeper poverty. His remarks have reignited debates about the role of the state in suppressing dissent and the failure of Nigeria's political class to address the root causes of the country's crises. As the 2027 general elections draw nearer, Nwapa's warning that the PDP and APC are "rival factions of the same capitalist class" has resonated with many Nigerians who feel disillusioned with the country's political establishment and the persistent cycle of violence and repression that has come to define the nation's democratic experience.

📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews