By Joy Onu
The Obidient Movement on Monday accused the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using the judiciary to undermine opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election, alleging that the ultimate target is to stop its leader, Mr. Peter Obi, from contesting the presidency.
Speaking at the World Press Conference at the movement’s national secretariat in Abuja, the Coordinator of Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, alleged that the ruling APC had resorted to using state institutions and litigation as tools to weaken credible opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections. He said the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, reflected what he described as a broader plan to frustrate opposition politics and pave the way for a one-party system.
According to him, the APC’s growing concern over Peter Obi’s rising support and the coalition building around the NDC was behind what he described as attempts to suppress viable opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tanko said the movement convened the briefing in response to the court’s decision delivered on Friday, arguing that the judgment was inconsistent with established legal principles and should not stand.
He said that the timing of the case was suspicious, noting that it surfaced only days after Peter Obi joined the NDC. According to him, an unknown individual or group instituted the suit despite lacking the legal standing to do so, yet the court proceeded to hear the matter and deliver judgment.
Describing the verdict as a “kangaroo judgment,” Tanko said it was politically motivated and intended to keep Obi off the ballot in the next presidential election.
“This bizarre ruling comes on the heels of several other controversial, targeted judgments systematically engineered to dismantle viable opposition platforms,” he said.
He further alleged that the judiciary was gradually losing its independence by yielding to political pressure from the APC-led administration.
According to him, “The Nigerian judiciary is actively surrendering itself to the dictation and caprices of the APC regime. It is no longer behaving as an impartial guardian of justice; it has been captured and weaponised as a tool of partisan warfare.”
Tanko warned that undermining the credibility of the courts could have serious implications for Nigeria’s democracy, stressing that public confidence in the justice system remains essential for maintaining peace and order.
He argued that if citizens eventually lose faith in the courts, they may begin to question the authority of the legal system, a development he said could threaten national stability.
“We are here to sound the alarm on a terrifying historical reality,” he stated. “The judiciary exists as the ultimate buffer between peace and chaos. But once justice becomes something reserved for the highest bidder or those in power, the institution itself begins to destroy the very nation it is meant to protect.”
He said, “When you destroy the court of law, you leave the people with only the court of public opinion and the street. If the legal system completely surrenders its integrity to executive manipulation, Nigerians will have no choice but to stop recognising its authority.”
Tanko also accused the APC of deploying state institutions and legal processes to eliminate credible political rivals before campaigns for the 2027 election officially begin.
According to him, the ruling party is uncomfortable with the increasing support for Peter Obi and what he described as the growing coalition around the NDC, prompting efforts to suppress opposition parties through the courts.
He further alleged that the current political climate points to an attempt to entrench one-party dominance, warning that such actions could undermine Nigerians’ constitutional right to freely elect their leaders.
Despite the court ruling, Tanko urged members of the Obidient Movement, volunteers and supporters across the country to remain calm and committed to the movement’s objectives.
Also addressing journalists, the Deputy National Coordinator (North Central) of the Obidient Movement, Chief Peter Ameh, alleged that the judgment formed part of a broader strategy to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ameh argued that the Lokoja court decision signalled an attempt to prevent opposition candidates from participating in the next general election by targeting the political platforms available to them.
The movement insisted that democracy can only thrive where the judiciary remains independent and free from political interference, urging authorities to allow Nigerians to decide their leaders through credible elections.
It therefore called for justice to prevail, insisting that the electoral process must not be manipulated for partisan advantage.
The Obidient Movement also declared that it remained confident that Peter Obi and Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso would appear on the ballot as its presidential ticket in the 2027 election.
Meanwhile, an official of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) disclosed at the briefing that the party had already filed an appeal against the Lokoja Federal High Court judgment.
The movement demanded that the APC should not use the judiciary to manipulate Nigeria’s democracy, while reiterating its commitment to defending democratic institutions and judicial independence ahead of the 2027 elections.
The press conference attracted a large turnout of Obidient supporters, who gathered at the Abuja secretariat in solidarity with the movement and the NDC.
