The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has declared that he challenge the newly passed Electoral Act 2026 in court over what he described as attempts to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
He stated this shortly after registering as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in his hometown of Agulu in Aniocha Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday,
Obi said some sections of the new electoral law were passed to facilitate electoral manipulation and undermine the credibility of future elections.
He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of going beyond its constitutional role by interfering in how political parties conduct their internal processes.
The commission , according to Obi, should work towards conducting credible elections instead of dictating how parties should select their candidates.
Obi said “I am going to challenge the decision in court; INEC has no reason to assume processes in how political parties elect their candidates. Its responsibility is to conduct elections.
“You don’t tell a team how to prepare its players before a match. As a referee, INEC’s role is to officiate, not to determine which players a team should field.”
Obi accused the National Assembly of fashioning the law to favour the ruling party in the next general election.
“All the laws being hurriedly created are simply aimed at enabling the ruling party to snatch the 2027 presidential election and run away with it,” Obi said.
He told ADC members and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to him, “we have about 2.8 million registered voters in Anambra, and I urge everyone to go to the grassroots and mobilise people to register and be ready to vote.”
He called for political unity among opposition groups, saying the South-East region is working collectively with other parts of the country to build a strong opposition ahead of the next elections.
