Peter Obi has criticised the timing of a Federal High Court ruling that nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
In a statement titled “Do not Undermine Democracy,” Obi said he received news of the judgment with shock, calling it unsettling and surprising.
The Abuja court declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and invalidated actions taken under its authority, including Atiku Abubakar’s nomination.
The ruling also affected other ADC national officers and candidates, according to reports on the judgment delivered Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu.
The case was brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC deputy national chairman for the North-East, who challenged how Mark’s committee assumed control.
Obi said he did not challenge the court’s authority to resolve disputes according to law, but questioned the decision’s timing.
He argued that uncertainty over party leadership and candidates so close to an election could undermine public confidence in the political process.
The judgment comes as Nigerian parties prepare for the 2027 general elections, scheduled for January, according to international news reports.
Obi Alleges engineered instability
Obi described the uncertainty as “engineered by the ruling party,” alleging that similar disruption had affected him and his former party, Labour.
He said such moves restrict civic space and make it harder for opposition parties to campaign robustly across the country.
Obi also alleged that the same political playbook had produced violence against his supporters during campaign activities.
The statement did not provide details or evidence for those allegations, which were presented as Obi’s own assessment of the political climate.
His remarks followed a decision that immediately placed the ADC’s leadership and presidential nomination in doubt, less than three months before January.
The court’s order was issued in a dispute over the authority of the caretaker committee that organised the party’s presidential primary.
In its judgment, the court found the Mark-led committee’s emergence unlawful and nullified the actions it had taken in the party’s name.
Those actions included the primary that produced Atiku as the ADC’s presidential candidate for 2027.
The ADC has rejected the ruling and said it would appeal, according to reports published after the decision.
Voters’ role and judicial process
Obi said democratic systems should ultimately allow voters to choose their leaders, while acknowledging courts’ role in resolving legal disputes.
“One mark of democracy,” he wrote, “is that at all times, it is voters and not courts that choose leaders.”
He said he trusted the judiciary and had shown respect for it while serving in public office.
His appeal, he said, was for institutions and political actors to protect democracy by safeguarding voters’ ability to make free choices.
The statement did not call for disobedience to the ruling or dispute the court’s jurisdiction over the case.
Instead, Obi focused on the wider consequences of legal uncertainty for party organisation, campaign activity and voters’ access to competing candidates.
He urged authorities to avoid undermining the free and fair selection of candidates as parties prepare for the approaching election.
The decision may now be tested through an appeal, while the party and affected candidates face uncertainty over their status.
The court’s ruling does not itself resolve every wider question about ADC’s future leadership or any subsequent legal proceedings.
Regional context and opposition politics
Obi linked Nigeria’s democratic responsibilities to military takeovers in parts of West Africa, warning against weakening opposition politics.
He argued that regional democratic setbacks should strengthen Nigeria’s commitment to political pluralism and meaningful competition.
He said opposition parties should be protected and allowed to operate, rather than pushed out of electoral contests.
Obi has previously promised that, if elected president, he would take a special interest in keeping opposition parties stable and active.
He also said opposition candidates should not be persecuted out of elections, making party security part of his broader democratic appeal.
His statement framed the ADC dispute as part of a larger concern about whether opposition groups can campaign freely.
That argument comes amid broader challenges for opposition coalitions seeking to contest President Bola Tinubu’s governing party in 2027.
The ADC had emerged as a platform for opposition figures seeking to unite against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The party’s current legal and leadership dispute therefore carries consequences beyond the status of one committee or presidential nomination.
For Atiku, the ruling invalidates the primary process that selected him, although the party says it intends to challenge the judgment.
For other ADC candidates, the court’s decision also creates uncertainty because it voided nominations made under the Mark-led leadership.
Obi concluded by urging political actors to strengthen democracy by allowing opposition parties to thrive.
His central concern, he said, was that Nigerian voters should retain a genuine choice among candidates and political platforms.
The coming appeal and any further court orders will determine how the ruling affects the ADC’s leadership and electoral preparations.
