Public commentator Mahdi Shehu has issued a stark warning that Nigeria’s opposition political parties risk losing the 2027 general elections due to deep internal divisions, personal ambition, and failure to cooperate among leaders. In a widely shared post on his verified X handle on Sunday, Shehu criticized major opposition parties—including the PDP, LP, ADC, NDC, PRP, and others—for their inability to present a united front capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He argued that when opposition leaders prioritize personal gain over national interest, they risk facing not only political defeat but also lasting regret and public disillusionment.
Shehu pointed to systemic challenges that further weaken the opposition’s position, including what he described as a visibly biased electoral system. He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of acting as an extension of the APC, stating, “INEC are visibly partial and have descended into the political arena as an extension of APC, or so it seems.” He also claimed that APC chieftains appear to be in tacit agreement to eliminate credible opposition, ensuring their continued dominance in national politics.
The commentator did not stop at the electoral body, extending his critique to the judiciary. He alleged that courts are not neutral in political matters, asserting they are neither willing nor prepared to serve as impartial arbiters in electoral disputes. He further criticized the Electoral Act, calling some of its provisions worse than a military decree and inherently skewed against opposition parties.
Shehu emphasized that opposition aspirants themselves are contributing to their own downfall through desperation and self-interest. “Their personal ambitions have overshadowed the dangers facing Nigeria,” he wrote, adding that leaders are failing to see the bigger picture and instead focusing on their own reflections. He warned that without unity, the opposition will remain fragmented and ineffective.
He stressed that a united front could have created a historically formidable force capable of giving the APC a serious challenge. Instead, he lamented, the refusal of ambitious leaders to cooperate is fueling the APC’s continued rise. “The rumored plan by the opposition to move to another party (NDC, PRP, APM) etc and some among them going back to APC is nothing but a final burial arrangement with neither a priest nor an imam willing to preside over the burial rites,” he said.
Shehu cautioned that 2027 may be the last opportunity for opposition leaders to remain relevant in Nigerian politics. He warned that failure to unite could lead to political irrelevance, with smaller nations possibly emerging in which they would have no role. “If the opposition is united, they have the chance of being called credible opposition. If they remain divided, they will be reduced into combustible materials with neither market nor value, deserving neither sympathy nor pity,” he added.
He concluded with a note of faith, expressing belief in divine intervention and stating that “with God, everything is possible.” As Nigeria prepares for its next general election, the call for unity among opposition forces grows louder, with the stakes higher than ever.
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