‘INEC MUST DEFY KOGI JUDGMENT’
Obi-Kwankwaso group kicks as pressure mounts to deregister NDC ahead of 2027
ABUJA — A pressure group backing the Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ticket, _OKAY A NEW NIGERIA_, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to reject a Kogi court order seeking to deregister the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
The group said in a statement on Thursday that bowing to the judgment would erode INEC’s independence and set a “dangerous precedent” for Nigeria’s democracy.
Signed by National Coordinator, Hon. Chibuisi Mba, the group said INEC’s mandate is to register and regulate parties based on the Constitution, not on “political pressure, sentiment, or the wishes of interested parties.”
*‘Lokoja judgment subsists’*
The group argued that the NDC was validly registered following a Federal High Court order in Lokoja, Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, in _Barr. Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC_.
It said any attempt to reverse the registration through a conflicting judgment “is a direct assault on judicial consistency” and on Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution on freedom of association.
It recalled that the Court of Appeal had faulted a similar Federal High Court judgment for proceeding despite a subsisting stay order, and urged INEC to apply the same standard.
*‘Attempt to shrink political space’*
The group linked the move to a June 15 Federal High Court order directing INEC to deregister five parties, including the ADC, over alleged failure to meet Section 225A thresholds.
“Silencing platforms like the NDC silences minority voices, reduces voter choice, and weakens democratic institutions,” it said. “Nigeria cannot afford political exclusion that breeds resentment and instability.”
*Obi, Kwankwaso now NDC candidates*
The statement confirmed that Obi and Kwankwaso have formally pitched their 2027 presidential and vice-presidential bid on the NDC platform.
Quoting Kwankwaso, it said northern leaders entered the alliance after assessing who could “work together with us honestly so that we can move this country.”
“No gang-up built on litigation, defamation, or judicial manipulation will stop an Obi-Kwankwaso candidacy,” the group declared.
*Group’s demands*
1. INEC should uphold the Lokoja court order and resist pressure to deregister NDC.
2. The Judiciary should respect due process and court hierarchy.
3. Nigerians should reject attempts to use the courts to eliminate opposition before 2027.
“You cannot deregister an idea, and you cannot cancel a mandate the people are ready to give,” the group said.
INEC had yet to react to the latest development as of press time.
_Contact: Hon. Chibuisi Mba, 07037233448_
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