PAKISTAN SAYS 29 MILITANTS KILLED IN CROSS-BORDER STRIKES NEAR AFGHANISTAN BORDER. (PHOTO).
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has concluded a series of high-level strategy meetings involving its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, national leader Seriake Dickson, and other top stakeholders as it prepares to file an appeal today against a Federal High Court ruling that nullified the party’s registration.
The meetings come barely 48 hours after the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, set aside its earlier judgment that had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC.
The controversial ruling has sparked political tensions, with opposition figures condemning it as a deliberate move to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A senior NDC official, who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity, revealed that the party leadership held back-to-back emergency meetings to finalise its legal strategy for the Court of Appeal.
According to the source, Peter Obi, Senator Seriake Dickson, the national chairman, national secretary, and other key executives attended a closed-door meeting on Saturday, with another emergency session held on Sunday to fine-tune preparations.
“Yes, a number of closed-door meetings have taken place since the Kogi High Court judgment went viral. For instance, Obi, Senator Dickson, the party chairman, the secretary and other executives were in yesterday’s meeting,” the source said.
“Even as we speak, there is another emergency meeting ongoing ahead of tomorrow’s appeal. However, we are not privy yet to who will lead the legal team. What I only know is that the NDC National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, will play a key role in it.”
The party’s National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, confirmed that the appeal would be filed on Monday but declined to immediately disclose the lead counsel.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate at this time for us to announce who our legal team leader will be. By the time we file our processes on Monday, you will know those who are in the team and who the leader is,” Enekweizu said on the sidelines of a recent press briefing.
He described the Lokoja judgment as “unprecedented and lacking any legal foundation,” insisting the party is confident of victory on appeal.
“This is the worst thing that can happen in judiciary. That ruling has no legal basis. There is no precedent in law that can justify it,” Enekweizu stated.
“So, obviously, we see it as part of the attempts by the powers that be to further shrink the democratic process in Nigeria... I can assure you that all our candidates, from presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, his running mate and all our candidates up to the House of Assembly level, will all be on the ballot.”
The NDC National Secretary expressed strong faith in the judiciary as “the last hope of the common man,” noting that the party would pursue the appeal to its conclusion.
Comments
Post a Comment