Abuja, April 2026 – Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi is facing criticism from some political commentators after the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, lost its registered party status.
The Federal High Court in Lokoja recently vacated an earlier order that had compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register the NDC. The ruling means the party is no longer recognised and cannot field candidates until it completes a fresh registration process.
Who challenged the NDC registration
Court records show the legal action against INEC’s registration of the NDC was filed by two political groups: the Peace Movement Party, PMP, and the African Alliance Party, AAP. They argued that the NDC did not meet statutory requirements, including submitting key documents and completing INEC’s official portal process.
Criticism of Obi’s response
Following the judgment, some observers have questioned Obi’s decision to associate with the NDC/ADC platform and his public comments blaming the Federal Government.
In a statement circulating online, one commentator said: “Even though I am not in support of the deregistration of NDC, it’s insensitive of Peter Obi to be blaming FG about this. Why didn’t Obi do his findings well before joining ADC? A presidential candidate that’s so disorganized to the extent of not knowing what’s good for him.”
The commentator added: “Wondering why the opposition have been blaming the FG for their own self inflicted chaos.”
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has been linked to talks around the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the NDC as part of opposition coalition discussions ahead of 2027.
What happens next
The NDC now has two options: reapply to INEC after meeting all registration requirements, or appeal the court’s decision at the Court of Appeal. INEC says it is no longer under any legal obligation to register the party.
Peter Obi and his camp have not issued a formal response to the latest criticism at the time of filing this report.
