NDC: Lokoja judgment a setback for democracy, Obi says

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), voiced his concerns about the Federal High Court in Lokoja’s Friday decision to overturn its earlier ruling that had instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page on Friday, Obi called the judgment “another setback for our democracy and the institutions upon which our future depends.”

The former governor of Anambra State said he learned of the court’s decision while attending an event at Madonna University, following earlier engagements in Imo State that included a visit to the School of Nursing Sciences in Emekuku and the 80th‑birthday celebration of the Emeritus Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna.

Obi urged that every Nigerian dedicated to the country’s progress should be concerned about the ruling’s implications.

“This judgment represents another setback for our democracy and the institutions upon which our future depends,” he said.

He argued that democratic institutions must stay independent and credible, warning that actions that erode public confidence could have long‑term consequences for the nation.

“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,” Obi stated.

He also voiced concern over the perceived weakening of democratic institutions, stating that the legislature and judiciary must remain independent for democracy to thrive.

Obi said his reaction was driven by principle rather than politics, recalling that he had earlier criticised similar developments involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“My concern is not about