NIGERIA: Peter Obi Condemns Lokoja Court Ruling, Says Democracy Suffers Fresh Setback

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has described the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja setting aside its earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party as a serious setback for Nigeria’s democracy.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, Obi said he received news of the ruling while attending official engagements in Imo State, including a visit to the School of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku, the 80th birthday celebration of Emeritus Archbishop Anthony Obinna and an event at Madonna University.

According to him, the court decision should worry every Nigerian committed to democratic governance, warning that the country’s institutions are gradually losing their independence and credibility.

The Federal High Court had earlier nullified its December 2025 judgment that compelled INEC to register the NDC after ruling that the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of a disputed party logo, was not joined in the original suit.

The court ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the earlier judgment and directed that the substantive case be heard afresh with all interested parties joined.

Reacting to the development, Obi accused unnamed actors of undermining democratic institutions and recalled that he similarly criticised judicial actions affecting the African Democratic Congress on the grounds of principle rather than partisan interest.

He urged Nigerians to defend the country’s democratic institutions, insisting that the nation’s progress depends on justice, the rule of law, strong institutions and equal opportunity rather than the pursuit of political power.