Abia State government has issued a stern warning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against using the term "Shadow Government" in the state, emphasizing that such a concept does not exist in Nigeria's presidential system of government.
The warning came from Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity, in response to recent criticism of Abia's 2025 Q2 financial report credited to the "PDP Shadow Government."
"Firstly, a Shadow government does not exist in a Presidential System of Government," Ekeoma stated. "Abia State government had warned against this in 2024 when the idea of the so-called Shadow government was first conceived by the PDP."
He further revealed that the government had previously taken necessary actions to curtail such activities and warned that any attempt by the Abia State PDP to resurrect the concept "would attract a more fierce response from the government this time around."
Ekeoma emphasized that political parties have institutional organs provided in the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act to function responsibly as opposition without becoming "a nuisance to the people."
The Special Adviser also addressed financial matters, citing a Debt Management Office report which indicated that the current administration has reduced the state's debt profile. He clarified that any external debt exposure of the state was incurred during previous administrations.
This development highlights the ongoing political tensions in Abia State, where Governor Otti's administration continues to face criticism from the opposition PDP, which previously governed the state for many years.
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