Nigeria, May 27 -- Across history and continents, one-party systems have posed as answers to national unity, stability, and ideological purity. However, beneath the surface of this apparent simplicity lies a political structure that has proven time and again to be corrosive to the essence of democracy. From Asia to Africa, Eastern Europe to Latin America, the evidence is abundant and sobering: one-party rule stifles dissent, nurtures corruption, entrenches authoritarianism, and ultimately disconnects governance from the will of the people. As Nigeria navigates its democratic evolution, it must draw urgent lessons from these global experiences and never entertain the temptation of a one-party state.

For instance, the Communist Party of Ch...