A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladan Salihu, has alleged that the ongoing divisions within the party are part of a deliberate strategy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken and eventually eliminate opposition politics in Nigeria. He said the presence of factions in the PDP did not happen by chance but was carefully engineered.

Salihu claimed that internal disagreements are being fueled from outside the party to create confusion, weaken unity, and distract the PDP from its role as a strong opposition platform. According to him, a divided opposition only makes it easier for the ruling party to dominate the political space without meaningful checks and balances.

He urged PDP leaders and members to be vigilant and resist any attempt to destabilise the party from within or outside. Salihu said unity within the PDP is critical, not just for the party’s survival, but also for the health of Nigeria’s democracy, which depends on a strong and credible opposition.

Salihu also called on civil society groups and Nigerians to pay attention to what he described as dangerous political manipulation. He warned that allowing opposition parties to collapse through internal sabotage could lead to a situation where one party controls all political power, which would be harmful to democratic governance.