Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu, declaring that late military ruler Sani Abacha was, in his view, more democratic than the current administration.
Obi made the remarks on Thursday in a strongly worded post on X, where he criticised what he described as a reversal of democratic ideals by individuals who once positioned themselves as champions of civil liberties during Nigeria’s military era.
At the centre of his criticism is the legacy of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a now-defunct pro-democracy movement formed on May 15, 1994, to resist military rule and push for the restoration of democratic governance in Nigeria. The coalition brought together a wide array of political leaders, activists, and groups, including the influential Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere.
NADECO’s founding figures included prominent names such as Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Anthony Enahoro, Ebitu Ukiwe, Abraham Adesanya, Ndubuisi Kanu, and Beko Ransome-Kuti. Other notable members included Wole Soyinka, Balarabe Musa, Olu Falae, and Ganiu Dawodu, with Tinubu himself playing a key role as a strategist and financier within the group.
However, Obi argued that the ideals that once defined the coalition have been abandoned by some of its former members now in power.
“Yesterday’s defenders of democracy are today’s destroyers,” Obi wrote, lamenting what he described as a troubling irony in Nigeria’s political evolution. He asserted that those who once opposed authoritarianism during Abacha’s regime now preside over actions that undermine democratic principles.
Obi’s remarks were triggered by recent developments involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The electoral commission had announced its decision to derecognise the party’s leadership factions, including the group led by former Senate President David Mark, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal. INEC said it acted in compliance with a directive to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” pending the resolution of an ongoing legal dispute at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
As part of the move, INEC removed the names of the party’s factional National Working Committee members from its official portal and declared that it would refrain from recognising any leadership within the party until the court delivers a final judgment.
The crisis within the ADC dates back to July 2025, when a new faction led by Mark emerged after the resignation of some executive members. However, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who served as the party’s vice-national chairman, rejected the arrangement, insisting he never resigned and should automatically assume leadership in line with the party’s constitution.
Gombe subsequently filed a suit seeking judicial recognition as the party’s legitimate leader and to restrain Mark’s faction from acting in that capacity. While Mark’s camp challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal dismissed the objection and allowed the case to proceed.
Reacting to INEC’s position, Obi suggested that the decision reflected a broader pattern of political interference and institutional compromise. He argued that the current state of affairs raises serious concerns about the health of Nigeria’s democracy.
“Power indeed reveals character,” Obi stated, adding that history may judge today’s leaders more harshly than figures they once criticised.
INEC, for its part, has maintained that its actions are strictly in compliance with judicial directives and has urged all political actors to respect due process and avoid actions that could destabilise preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The development has further heightened political tensions, as stakeholders across the spectrum continue to weigh in on the implications of the ADC crisis and the broader questions it raises about governance, institutional independence, and democratic accountability in Nigeria.
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