PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal High Court’s order mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord and three other political parties.
He described the development as a threat to public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic and judicial institutions.
Obi in a statement posted on his X handle, warned against what he termed the growing politicisation of institutions that should remain independent and protected from political influence.
He said nations thrive when institutions are stronger than individuals and politics. He argued that the court judgement would further diminish public trust in the country’s legal system.
While calling for the reversal of the ruling, the former Anambra State governor said: “We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals,” he said.
He recalled expressing concerns during the controversy surrounding the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, stressing that the greatest damage such actions caused was often the perception they created about the sanctity and independence of national institutions.
According to him, strong economies are built on trust; while investors can manage security, policy and market risks, they are often discouraged by uncertainty in the rule of law and perceptions of judicial interference.
“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them, because businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own.”
Obi pledged commitment to restoring the dignity, independence and integrity of the judiciary, stressing the need for justice to remain impartial, accessible and respected by all citizens.
He also called on judges, senior advocates, lawyers and other legal professionals to defend the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions in the country.
The ICIR reported on Monday that the Federal High Court ordered INEC to strike out the five political parties from its register over their poor electoral performance.
The ruling, delivered on Monday by one of the court’s justices, Peter Lifu, affected the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The judge that the parties failed to satisfy constitutional conditions required for political parties to retain their registration and consequently instructed INEC to remove them from the list of recognised parties.
Lifu also ruled that the affected parties should not be allowed to take part in future elections, including the 2027 general election.
The decision followed a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators. The group had approached the court, arguing that the parties no longer met the legal standards needed to remain registered.