The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has berated the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for setting up a shadow government in the state, describing it as a treasonous offense.
Speaking during a critical meeting with leaders of workers’ unions in the state, Otti vowed to take severe legal action within the framework of the law against the opposition party.
The governor, while raising eyebrows over the development, described the move as “baseless” and “an indication of ignorance about Nigeria’s political structure.”
Recall that the opposition PDP in Abia State had announced the formation of a shadow government in the state, appointing a speaker and shadow commissioners, claiming the move was aimed at holding the ruling administration accountable.
The Abia State governor clarified that the nation’s presidential democracy is not familiar with the idea of a shadow administration, adding that he had instructed the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, to address the matter decisively within the framework of the law.
According to Otti, “there’s nothing like a shadow government in a presidential democracy. The problem people have is ignorance, and they refuse to be educated. Shadow governments only exist in parliamentary democracies.
“What they have set up is, in essence, a government in exile, and since it is not recognized by law, it is treasonable,”