Former Labour Party presidential hopeful Peter Obi has described the late Gen. Sani Abacha—who ruled from 1993 to 1998—as more democratic than many of the activists who once claimed to fight for democracy under the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
Obi, now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the comment in a Thursday post on his X (Twitter) account. It came amid fresh court rulings and a tussle over the ADC’s leadership.
“Yesterday defenders of democracy, today’s destroyers. What a shame,” he wrote.
“What an irony: the same people who styled themselves champions of democracy and human rights under Abacha now behave worse than the man they opposed. Today, Abacha—the presumed face of oppression—will be remembered as seemingly more democratic than the NADECO heroes.”
His statement follows the Independent National Electoral Commission’s move to strike Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from its portal as ADC national chairman and national secretary. INEC also said it would not recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who had gone to court seeking to be declared chairman.
Citing the Court of Appeal judgment in Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, the commission announced it would stop recognising the Mark-led faction and stay away from any congresses or conventions either side organises until the Federal High Court rules on the substantive suit.
The ADC, however, rejected INEC’s reading of the appellate decision.
Security agencies—including the army, police, NSCDC, and State Security Service—cordoned off INEC headquarters on Zambezi Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday to prevent clashes between rival protest groups.
