Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has vowed to challenge the 2026 Electoral Act in court.
Obi, who finished his registration in his birthplace of Agulu in the Aniocha Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday, said he will challenge the newly approved Electoral Act 2026 in court over what he called attempts to alter the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
He claimed that aspects of the new electoral legislation were intended to encourage electoral manipulation and destroy the credibility of future elections.
The former governor of Anambra State accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of exceeding its constitutional authority by attempting to intervene with political parties’ internal operations.
He believes that the electoral authority should focus on holding credible elections rather than directing how parties choose their candidates.
“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,” he said.
Obi noted that the provisions of the new law appeared designed to favor 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,” he alleged.
He called on party members and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilization ahead of the 2027 polls.
“We have about 2.8 million registered voters in Anambra, and I urge everyone to go to the grassroots and mobilize people to register and be ready to vote,” he said.
The former presidential candidate also stressed the importance of political unity among opposition groups.
According to him, the Southeast area is collaborating with other parts of the country to establish a powerful opposition ahead of the upcoming elections.
“In this journey of 2027, we in the South-East are working as a family and discussing with other regions.
“The goal is to unite the opposition and create a new Nigeria. The Southeast is part of Nigeria, and no region is more Nigerian than the Southeast,” he added.
Obi also berated the current socio-economic conditions, describing the country as one of the poorest globally despite its vast resources.
He stated, “We cannot continue in an era where Nigeria has become one of the worst five countries in the world and the poverty capital of the world.
“We are committed to building a Nigeria where the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody.”
