Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s aide, Paul Ibe, on Friday urged Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and other opposition leaders to unite ahead of the 2027 elections after a Federal High Court ruling set aside an earlier judgment that led to the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Reacting to Friday’s decision by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, Ibe described the ruling as a warning to opposition figures and parties.
In a post on X, he said the judgment “should be a wake-up call that there is no hiding place for the opposition” and alleged that President Bola Tinubu was moving toward “enthroning a de facto one-party state.”
“The decision of the Federal High Court Lokoja in settting aside its earlier judgement on the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) should be a wake-up call that there is no hiding place for the opposition as the incompetent and clueless Tinubu @officialABAT sets his sights on enthroning a de facto one-party state,” Ibe wrote.
He further claimed that the President’s intentions toward opposition parties were unmistakable.
“His message is loud and clear: that he will obliterate the opposition and destroy our hard-won democracy if he does not have his way in the 2027 election,” he said.
Ibe argued that opposition parties still had time to work together before the next presidential election and specifically mentioned Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and other opposition leaders as potential partners in a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It is not too late for the opposition to harmonize their strengths ahead of 2027 if the Yar’Adua 2.0 President Tinubu is to be retired to either Bourdillon or Iragbiji!” he added.
The comments followed a ruling by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, who set aside the court’s earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC.
According to the court, the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo adopted by the NDC but had not been joined as a party in the suit.
Counsel to the PMP, C.S. Ekeocha, said the ruling restored all parties to the positions they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgment and directed that all necessary parties be joined before the substantive case is heard afresh.
He also stated that all actions taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment, including the recognition and registration of the NDC, had been reversed pending the final determination of the matter.
(The Whistler)