PRESS STATEMENT
COURT ORDER ON NDC: A SETBACK FOR DEMOCRACY
We have read media reports of the order of the Federal High Court, sitting in Lokoja, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
While we await the Certified True Copy of the judgment, we express our profound condemnation of the implications of the court order, which further constricts the democratic space in our country. This is particularly disturbing, coming after Nigerians had expended their resources to aspire to various elective offices under the platform of the NDC. This order is not only an asphyxiation of multiparty democracy in Nigeria but also an economic crime against Nigerians who invested in the party.
This situation, though activated through the court, fits neatly into the playbook of the APC-led Federal Government, which appears unwilling to allow the survival of a genuine opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections, in order to pave the way for the President’s unchallenged re-election. The absurdities that have occurred under the APC Federal Government clearly demonstrate its disdain for fair political competition, which is most unfortunate.
The leadership of the genuine Peoples Democratic Party urges the leadership of the NDC to vigorously challenge this order within the ambit of the law while seeking the support of the Nigerian people in the struggle for democratic consolidation.
The Federal Government must take practical steps to reduce the political temperature of the country in the interest of peace, stability, and the preservation of democracy.
Signed:
Comrade Ini Ememobong, mnipr
National Publicity Secretary
Interim National Working Committee
Peoples Democratic Party
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