Peter Obi has alleged that powerful interests in the Federal Government are trying to stop him from contesting the 2027 presidential election, after an NDC court ruling threw the party’s registration dispute into fresh uncertainty. The claim has deepened political tension around the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while the APC says Obi should respect the judiciary and pursue the matter through the courts.
Obi, who has been linked to the NDC presidential ticket, made the allegation on Friday at a leadership programme organised by the NextGen Mentorship and Leadership Initiative at Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State.
He claimed that efforts were being made to keep him off the ballot in 2027.
“If you know what they are doing to ensure that I’m not on the ballot in 2027, you will be surprised,” Obi said.
“The Nigerian government is doing everything to ensure that I do not contest in this election, but I’m not looking at the obstacles but at the destination.”
The former Anambra State governor said he remained focused on what he described as the goal of building a better Nigeria.
His comments came after the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, set aside an earlier judgment that had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the NDC as a political party.
NDC registration dispute returns to court
The ruling is a major setback for the NDC, but it does not finally decide the party’s future.
The court has not banned Obi from contesting the 2027 election.
It has also not ruled that the NDC can never be registered.
Instead, Justice Isah Dashen ruled that the earlier judgment was defective because all necessary parties were not heard before the order was made.
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The earlier judgment, delivered on 10 December 2025, had directed INEC to register the NDC as a political party. INEC later acted on that decision.
But the Peace Movement Party challenged the process, arguing that it was an interested party and should have been included in the case before any final order was made.
The court agreed and ordered that the matter should return to the position it was in before the December 2025 judgment.
In simple terms, the judge said all sides must be heard before a final decision is taken on whether the NDC should be registered.
That means INEC, the PMP and the NDC are now expected to take part in a fresh hearing.
For Obi and his supporters, the decision creates fresh legal uncertainty ahead of the 2027 election season.
But Obi insisted the ruling would not end his political ambition.
“They cannot stop me. They will fail. Let me assure you, it is not the end of the road,” he said.
He also accused what he called “reactionary elements” of trying to hold Nigeria down, but said he believed the will of the people would prevail.
Obi then challenged President Bola Tinubu and other presidential hopefuls to a public debate on their plans for the country.
“I challenge any of those contesting to a debate to say what they want to do for this country, including President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
He added that he was “not desperate to be President” but was desperate to see Nigeria work.
Obi also urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and vote based on competence rather than ethnicity or religion.
“Do not vote for me because I’m an Igbo man. Vote for me because I’m the most qualified,” he said.
He said he wanted a Nigeria where “the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody”.
The APC rejected Obi’s claim and warned him against undermining democratic institutions.
The party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said Obi should take his concerns to court instead of dragging the President into the dispute.
“He cannot be seeking to rule Nigeria and be undermining one of the key institutions of democracy,” Basiru said.
“The judiciary is one of the institutions of democracy and must be respected, whether the judgment is in your favour or against you.”
Basiru argued that the same judiciary had earlier ordered the NDC’s registration and had now decided that all necessary parties should first be heard.
“In law, everybody knows that a court that made an order can set it aside when necessary parties have not been heard,” he said.
The dispute now puts INEC under close attention.
The commission is expected to study the Certified True Copy of the judgment before taking any formal step.
A Certified True Copy is the official written version of a court ruling. It matters because INEC, the parties and their lawyers need the exact wording of the order before deciding their next move.
The applicant’s lawyer, Chikezie Ekeocha, said the ruling means actions taken because of the earlier judgment should be reversed pending the final outcome of the case.
That could affect the NDC’s recognition, certificate of registration, appearance in INEC records and any ballot listing linked to the earlier order.
However, the case itself is not over.
The court has only removed the earlier judgment and ordered a fresh hearing with all necessary parties joined.
This distinction is important because political supporters on all sides may try to present the ruling as a final victory or final defeat.
It is neither.
For now, the NDC registration dispute has returned to court, and the next steps will depend on INEC’s response, any appeal, and the fresh hearing ordered by the court.
The key point for voters is simple: Obi has alleged a plot to stop his 2027 bid, the APC has rejected the claim, and the court has not made a final decision on the NDC’s registration.
Anyone following the case should wait for INEC’s official position, the Certified True Copy of the judgment and the next court ruling before drawing firm conclusions about the party’s future.
