Former Senator Shehu Sani has urged opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and others, to focus on resolving their internal disputes rather than accusing President Bola Tinubu of orchestrating their troubles.
Mr Sani spoke on ‘The Morning Brief’ programme on Channels Television on Wednesday.
He criticised opposition parties for looking to the president to resolve their challenges.
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“It makes no sense for you to face internal turmoil and then start pointing fingers at your rivals instead of tackling the root of your own problems,” Mr Sani said.
“If there’s a crisis within the PDP, it’s their responsibility to handle it. The same goes for the Labour Party, the SDP, the NNPP, and others. I’m not sure whether they now expect the president to cross over and manage their affairs.”
Over the past year, the opposition has suffered heavy losses, with several governors, lawmakers, and key members defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Many of those who decamped blamed persistent internal rifts in their former parties.
However, opposition figures have consistently accused the APC and Mr Tinubu of engineering the divisions that weakened their ranks.
Mr Sani, however, dismissed these claims, describing them as “irresponsible.”
He insisted that opposition parties should look inward instead of holding Tinubu accountable for their collapse.
“If you’re in the PDP and you allow internal saboteurs to operate unchecked, refusing to discipline or expel them, then turning to blame the president for your problems is simply an act of irresponsibility,” he said.
“The same applies to the SDP or any other party. If you can’t put your house in order, and you would rather search for a scapegoat in the president, then you are not serious about leadership.”
He further argued that it is not in the president’s political interest to help stabilise the opposition, describing it as a natural strategy for a ruling party to capitalise on the weaknesses of its rivals.
“As a president from the ruling party, it would be illogical to help fix the weapons that might later be used against him. Politically, it benefits the ruling party if the opposition remains disorganised and distracted by their own internal battles,” he added.
Mr Tinubu himself made a subtle reference to the situation during his Democracy Day address on June 12, where he mocked the opposition as “sinking ships.”
Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly, he said he had no intention of offering assistance to the opposition or encouraging them to resolve their problems.
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“Political parties worried about losing their members should focus on examining their internal systems rather than creating imaginary enemies,” Mr Tinubu said.
“For me, I won’t say, ‘Try to get your house in order,’ and I won’t lift a finger to help you either. Honestly, I take pleasure in watching you remain in disarray.”
