Former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has described a Federal High Court ruling ordering the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and Accord Party, as a plot to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Olawepo-Hashim said this in a statement on Tuesday, lamenting that the order was a threat to Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.

According to him, the judgment reinforced concerns he had earlier raised since 2024 about what he described as a coordinated effort to weaken opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He alleged that recent developments in the political space indicate attempts to reduce political competition by weakening opposition parties and their structures.

The Kwara-born politician reiterated that opposition governors have come under pressure to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, while opposition parties have also been weakened by internal disputes and leadership crises.

He equally accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of implementing an electoral timetable he claimed is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, alleging that the commission has failed to make necessary adjustments despite ongoing legal challenges.

“This judgment is a major setback for opposition politics and democratic participation. Nigeria’s democracy is built on multi-party participation and urged stakeholders to protect democratic institutions and ensure electoral integrity.

“I call on political parties, civil society organisations, pro-democracy groups, and citizens to remain actively engaged in defending democratic processes and strengthening the country’s electoral system,” he said.

A former media aide to the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, on Tuesday criticized the decision of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, to pick Rabiu Kwankwaso’s son, Mustapha, as the governorship running mate in Kano State.

Ahmad described the decision of fielding Kwankwaso’s son as governorship running mate as politically unwise.

Posting on X, Ahmad wrote: “It is politically unwise and strategically miscalculated for the NDC as a party to field a father as its vice presidential candidate while simultaneously selecting his son as its deputy governorship candidate in Kano at the same election cycle.”

Mustapha is the son of Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is the NDC’s presidential running mate in the 2027 election.

The governorship candidate of NDC in Kano State is a former deputy governor, Aminu Gwarzo.

Gwarzo emerged as the consensus candidate in May after a stakeholders meeting headed by Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The former deputy governor had resigned from Governor Abba Yusuf’s administration following a disagreement.

The disagreement led to his defection from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the NDC.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, has described Peter Obi as the only presidential candidate to account for campaign spending.

Tanko made this statement on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Day Break’.

According to him: “I was there when Aisha Yesufu and Peter Obi engaged the services of an independent auditor to review their campaign finances.

“They provided an account of every amount spent during the campaign. I would like to see the same level of transparency from other major parties, including the  APC and PDP.

“Peter Obi stood out because he was committed to the accountability and transparency he consistently advocated throughout the campaign.

“So, he made sure that those accounts were rendered to the public, and I think it’s a public document and will be accessed by everybody.”