Peter Obi's 2027 bid suffers major court setback

Friday's Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja has thrown Peter Obi and Kwankwaso's 2027 plans into serious doubt. Justice Isah Dashen set aside the earlier judgment that ordered INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, after the Peace Movement Party, PMP, proved it owns the logo the NDC adopted. The court said PMP was not joined in the original suit, so the whole registration process is now invalid.

Obi, speaking at Madonna University in Okija, insisted the ruling will not stop him. He said forces within the Federal Government are working to keep him off the ballot and challenged Tinubu and other candidates to a public debate. Meanwhile, Seriake Dickson called the ruling illegal and anti-democratic, vowing to appeal. The NDC has already instructed its legal team to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.

This is the kind of legal mess that makes you wonder if our democracy is truly ready for real competition. The NDC was already conducting primaries and holding conventions, and now a logo dispute could unravel everything. Am I the only one that thinks this is a deliberate move to shrink the political space ahead of 2027?