They are helping APC win – Shehu blasts opposition disunity

Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has cautioned that Nigeria’s opposition parties may be setting themselves up for defeat in the 2027 elections due to internal division, personal ambition, and a failure to work together.

In a post on his verified X account on Sunday, Shehu said parties like the PDP, LP, ADC, NDC, PRP and others have been unable to form a united front strong enough to challenge the ruling party.

He warned that when political leaders are driven by greed and self-interest, they risk ending up with neither power nor honour, but only regret.

Shehu identified several factors weakening the opposition, including what he described as bias within the electoral system.

“INEC appears partial and seems to have stepped into the political arena as an extension of the APC,” he said.

He also alleged that figures within the ruling party are working in sync to prevent any credible challenge.

“APC leaders seem aligned in ensuring there is no formidable opposition.”

On the judiciary, Shehu argued that the courts have not demonstrated full neutrality in political disputes, suggesting they are neither willing nor prepared to act as impartial arbiters.

He further criticised aspects of the Electoral Act, claiming some provisions are even more restrictive than military-era decrees and disadvantage opposition parties.

According to him, opposition aspirants are compounding the problem through desperation and unchecked ambition.

“Their personal ambitions have overshadowed the broader dangers facing Nigeria. They are too focused on themselves to grasp the bigger picture,” he said.

Shehu stressed that the absence of unity is significantly weakening the opposition’s chances, noting that cooperation could have produced a formidable force capable of challenging the APC.

“A sincere alliance among these political gladiators could have created a historically strong opposition. Instead, their refusal to cooperate is effectively fuelling the APC’s path to victory,” he said.

He also criticised reported plans by some opposition figures to defect to other parties or return to the APC, describing such moves as self-defeating and harmful to the electorate.

Shehu warned that the 2027 elections could mark a decisive moment for opposition leaders, possibly their last opportunity to remain politically relevant if they fail to unite.

“This may be their final chance to matter in Nigeria’s political landscape. If they miss it, they risk fading into irrelevance,” he said.

He concluded that unity remains the opposition’s only viable path forward.

“If they come together, they can become a credible force. If they remain divided, they risk becoming politically insignificant,” he added, while expressing hope that faith in divine intervention, saying God remains capable of changing difficult situations, adding that with Him, everything is possible.