By Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA
Nigeria’s opposition has been handed another reminder that the road to the 2027 general elections may be shaped as much in the courtroom as on the campaign trail. The Federal High Court’s decision in Lokoja to set aside its earlier order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has injected fresh uncertainty into an opposition already grappling with shifting alliances and legal disputes. By directing that the case start afresh after ruling that the Peace Movement Party (PMP) was denied a fair hearing over a disputed logo, the court has effectively left the NDC in legal limbo.
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For the opposition, the ruling is more than a legal twist; it threatens the viability of the political platform painstakingly assembled in recent months. The NDC became the vehicle on which Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso anchored their presidential ambitions after its court-backed registration. However, if the party ultimately loses the substantive case and any subsequent appeals, its registration could be nullified, leaving its candidates without a legally recognised platform. Given INEC’s tight nomination timetable, there would be little room for fresh registrations, party switches or political reorganisation. What now appears to be a courtroom dispute could ultimately reshape the presidential contest.
