Hours after a Federal High Court in Lokoja ordered INEC to deregister his party, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi stood before hundreds of students at Madonna University Okija in Anambra State on Friday, June 27, 2026, and declared that nothing would remove him from the 2027 ballot.
Obi was the guest speaker at a leadership programme hosted by the NextGen Mentorship and Leadership Initiative.
He used the platform to speak directly about the court judgment, the forces he alleged were working against him, and what he described as a deliberate campaign to suppress political competition.
“If you know what they are doing to ensure that I’m not on the ballot in 2027, you will be surprised. 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,” he said.
He was unequivocal about his resolve.
“They cannot stop me. They will fail. Let me assure you it is not the end of the road. We are committed to this democracy, and to those who want to kill this democracy — they are trying to hurt the society,” Obi said.
A Challenge to Tinubu — and a Message to Voters
Obi did not limit his remarks to the legal fight. He issued a direct challenge to President Bola Tinubu and every other presidential contender.
“I challenge any of those contesting to a debate to say what they want to do for this country, including President Bola Tinubu. I’m not saying it to make you happy but to change Nigeria and make it work,” he said.
He also addressed young Nigerians in the audience directly, asking them to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and to vote on merit, not ethnicity.
“Do not vote for me because I’m an Igbo man. I’m not contesting the election because I’m an Igbo man, but vote for me because I’m the most qualified,” he said.
The NDC has filed an appeal against the Lokoja court judgment, which set aside its earlier registration order over a logo ownership dispute filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP).
The appeal process means the party’s registration remains in legal contention ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi Warns Against State Police Before 2027 Polls
In a separate statement posted on X earlier on Friday, Obi addressed the Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill — a development he described as a significant but deeply flawed legislative step.
“The mechanism for passing the law appears highly disorganised, with no public hearing on such a sensitive issue. Indeed, the rush to enact the law without proper legislative procedures fuels suspicion among many observers about the political motives behind it,” he wrote.
His central concern was the risk of governors weaponising state police against political opponents.
“There is a widespread, justifiable fear that state police forces could become instruments in the hands of governors — weaponised to suppress political rivals, disrupt opposition rallies, and manipulate elections,” he wrote.
Obi called for independent state-level Police Service Commissions entirely free from executive control and argued that, given the political climate, implementation should be deferred until after the 2027 elections.
“Going by what Nigerians have seen so far, there is no guarantee that this administration can resist the temptation to take advantage of state policing to influence the 2027 general election by proxy,” he said.
Follow JolibaLive News for live coverage of the NDC deregistration appeal and all 2027 election developments.
