A political commentator, Henry Shield, has criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing its federal-level members as mere extensions of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye in Abuja on Saturday, Shield argued that the PDP has become “irreedeemable” and is surviving only through the resilience of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
He accused top officials of the opposition party of collecting salaries while secretly aligning with the APC.
“If you are a PDP member at the federal level, you are essentially an APC member,” Shield said.
According to him, Governor Bala is the only PDP governor actively defending the party’s ideals, often at great political cost.
He recalled how Bauchi State was denied funds after Bala openly opposed President Bola Tinubu on a policy decision.
“His own colleagues, who should stand with him at the governors’ forum, have abandoned him. Some are even selling him out,” he added.
Shield also raised concerns about the conduct of PDP’s National Secretary, Sam Dadi, accusing him of holding the party hostage during preparations for a convention.
He alleged that Dadi forced the party into making “unholy concessions” before appending his signature to documents required by the electoral commission.
The commentator further claimed that the PDP’s national secretary maintains close ties with a federal minister who has publicly declared support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Shield questioned Bala’s continued loyalty to the party despite what he called “relentless betrayal” from his colleagues. “I always ask him, why are you still in this party? You are the only one suffering for it,” he said.
The remarks have reignited debate over the future of Nigeria’s main opposition party, which has struggled to maintain unity since losing the presidency in 2015.
