The Obedient Movement has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of allegedly using the judiciary to prevent Peter Obi from contesting the 2027 presidential election, warning that the country is being pushed towards what it described as “the road to anarchy.”
Speaking at a press conference titled “The Road to Anarchy”, leaders of the movement alleged that a recent court judgment affecting the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) was politically motivated and aimed at frustrating Obi’s presidential ambition shortly after he joined the party.
The movement claimed that a “faceless entity” instituted a suit seeking the deregistration of the NDC only days after Obi’s reported defection to the party, describing the judgment as a “kangaroo ruling” and part of a broader effort to weaken opposition politics in Nigeria.
According to the group’s national coordinator, the judiciary has increasingly become an instrument of political warfare rather than an independent arbiter of justice.
“The judiciary is actively surrendering itself to the dictates of the APC regime. It is no longer behaving as an impartial guardian of justice. It has been captured and weaponised as a tool of partisan warfare,” he alleged.
The movement argued that when citizens lose confidence in the courts, democratic stability is endangered because the judiciary serves as the final institution for peaceful resolution of political disputes.
It warned that continued interference with democratic institutions could force citizens to resort to public protests instead of legal processes.
“If the legal system completely surrenders its integrity to executive manipulation, Nigerians will have no choice but to stop recognising its authority,” the coordinator said.
The group further alleged that the Federal Government has captured virtually every democratic institution, including the electoral body, security agencies and the judiciary, in a bid to establish a one-party state.
“The APC government has manipulated INEC. They have pocketed the judiciary. They have put the police under their control. It is a state capture. Every apparatus of governance has been captured, and we are saying no,” another speaker declared.
The Obedient Movement insisted that only Nigerians—not the government—have the constitutional right to determine who becomes president through free and fair elections.
“There must be a contest. If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. You cannot force yourself on Nigerians,” the group stated.
Addressing President Tinubu directly, one of the speakers said the President would not run unopposed in 2027.
“Tinubu will not run unopposed. Peter Gregory Obi will be on the ballot. Nigeria will never become a one-party state under your administration,” he said.
The speakers also urged Nigerians not to lose hope but to continue participating in the democratic process by obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
They maintained that despite the legal challenge facing the NDC, Obi and his running mate would eventually appear on the ballot for the 2027 presidential election.
Representatives of the NDC present at the briefing said the party had already appealed the court judgment and assembled a team of senior lawyers to challenge the ruling.
According to the party officials, they would seek an accelerated hearing and a stay of execution while legal proceedings continue.
The officials argued that the judgment was procedurally defective, insisting that the case challenging the party’s registration lacked legal merit and should never have resulted in the orders granted by the court.
Throughout the briefing, speakers repeatedly accused the government of shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space by targeting opposition parties through litigation and other institutional measures.
They warned that suppressing legitimate political competition could have serious consequences for Nigeria’s democracy and national stability.
The movement also appealed to the media, civil society organisations and the international community to closely monitor political developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite their allegations, the speakers expressed confidence that the legal battle would ultimately be resolved in the party’s favour and reiterated their belief that Peter Obi would remain a presidential candidate in the next election.
