2027 Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on all Nigerians to be “deeply concerned” following the ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja invalidating the registration of the Party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Obi said on Friday, he received the news through his 2027 NDC Vice Presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, adding the court ruling “represents another setback for our democracy”.
In his Statement titled ‘Lokoja Judgment: An Unnecessary Serious Setback for Nigerian Democracy’, the former Governor of Anambra State, it is a “regrettable” situation that, those who claim to have fought for democracy are now the ones “weakening the very institutions that sustain it”.
He said on X, the order delivered by the Court is only putting the future of millions of Nigerians in danger, as well as, “undermining public confidence”.
Obi’s Statement reads: “I received the court news of the Lokoja court rulings through my brother, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
“Every Nigerian committed to the country’s progress should be deeply concerned. This judgment represents another setback for our democracy and the institutions upon which our future depends.
“It is regrettable that some who claim to champion democracy now appear determined to weaken the very institutions that sustain it. In doing so, they are undermining public confidence and endangering the future of millions of Nigerians.”
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) said, the legislature and judiciary are progressively on the “decline”, adding, it will be difficult for democracy to “thrive” where Institutions are not “independent and credible”.
He prayed, those who seek to destroy democracy in Nigeria will not “ultimately prevail”, saying, the same issue occurred at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and did not hesitate to speak against it.
Obi described himself as a man of “principle”, saying, he will also condemn the Court ruling against the NDC.
The Statement reads: “It is regrettable that some who claim to champion democracy now appear determined to weaken the very institutions that sustain it. In doing so, they are undermining public confidence and endangering the future of millions of Nigerians.
“The legislature and the judiciary are increasingly being drawn into this pattern of institutional decline. Democracy cannot thrive where institutions lose their independence and credibility.
“Those who seek to weaken Nigeria’s democratic foundations will not ultimately prevail. When a similar situation recently affected the ADC, I condemned it without hesitation. I do so again today because my position has always been guided by principle.”
The former ADC member made known, his fret is not about who emerges as President of Nigeria, but, “that Nigeria works”. He said, politics in Nigeria must focus on “building a united nation founded on justice”.
He urged Nigerians to elevate beyond “partisan interests” and protect democracy in Nigeria.
The Statement further reads: “My concern is not about who becomes President. My concern is that Nigeria works. Our politics must move beyond the quest for power and focus instead on building a united nation founded on justice, strong institutions, the rule of law, and equal opportunity.
“That is the Nigeria we owe ourselves and the one we must leave for future generations.
“I therefore urge all well-meaning Nigerians to rise above partisan interests and defend our democracy.”
