BY BILESANMI ABAYOMI
Legal battles, internal divisions and alleged external interference have weakened the preparedness of opposition parties ahead of election seasons, according to Taiwo Lasisi, President of the Ta’awunu Humanitarian Forum, Lagos.
Speaking with the KosofePost, Lasisi argued that opposition parties in Nigeria have historically struggled to withstand internal fractures, particularly when such divisions are allegedly exploited by parties in power.
He cited the experience of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) ahead of the 2003 elections as an example, arguing that the party’s declining political fortunes across much of the Southwest created an opportunity for internal factions and external interests to undermine its structure.
Lasisi alleged that Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, after losing his bid to return to the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was subsequently supported by external interests in an attempt to challenge the leadership of the AD.
“Sen. Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, having lost his return bid to a PDP senator, was allegedly sponsored from without to upstage Alliance for Democracy, running as AD National Chairman against Chief Bisi Akande, the erstwhile governor of Osun State,” Lasisi said.
He further alleged that political actors, including Senator Sunday Fajimi of Osun West, were involved in efforts to weaken the party at the state level.
According to Lasisi, the infiltration of political structures allegedly extended to state, local government and ward levels, with individuals he described as moles working to destabilise the party from within.
These claims, however, remain allegations by Lasisi and were not independently verified by the KosofePost.
Lasisi said the eventual collapse of the AD’s dominance in much of the Southwest demonstrated the risks opposition parties face when internal disagreements are allowed to overwhelm their organisational structures.
He noted that political actors associated with the progressive tradition subsequently regrouped ahead of the 2007 elections, with significant political and financial support from then Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Drawing lessons from the period, Lasisi warned contemporary opposition parties against allowing internal disputes, leadership struggles and external influence to weaken their electoral machinery before elections.
He stressed that political parties must prioritise internal cohesion, grassroots organisation and effective conflict-resolution mechanisms if they hope to challenge incumbent parties.
“Above all, let your grip not slip from political power and not smell the semi-burnt hair of your body as a political party—at the mercy of the rival political party in power,” Lasisi cautioned.