Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to weaken Nigeria’s democracy by allegedly seeking the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a statement issued on Saturday by his media office, Atiku claimed that the reported effort to remove the opposition party through the courts was part of a broader attempt to suppress political opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He argued that restricting political competition or limiting voters’ choices would pose a serious threat to democratic governance, warning that such actions could push Nigeria towards a one-party state.
“Nigerians are now seeing the true colours of President Tinubu, who pretends to be a democrat, but his body language and the sinister activities of his agents contradict his mouthed commitment to free and fair elections,” Atiku said.
The former vice president urged President Tinubu to emulate former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, noting that neither administration sought to deregister opposition parties despite intense political rivalry. He added that any government confident in its performance should not fear electoral competition.
Atiku also called on the judiciary to resist political pressure and safeguard its independence, warning that allowing the courts to be used for partisan interests could erode public confidence in the justice system.
His comments followed Friday’s ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, where Justice Isah Dashen set aside the court’s December 2025 judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.
The court held that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo used in obtaining the registration order but was not joined in the original suit. It subsequently ordered all parties to return to their positions before the December 2025 ruling and directed a fresh hearing with all necessary parties included.
