Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticized the Federal High Court’s decision directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister five political parties, describing the move as undemocratic and contrary to the principles of a multi-party democracy.
Sowore, in a post on his X handle on Monday, argued that it was unjustifiable to deregister political parties that had already concluded their primary elections and were preparing for future electoral contests.
“It shall not stand. I totally condemn the deregistration of political parties that have already concluded their primaries and are preparing for general elections. Such an action is undemocratic and unjustifiable in a multi-party democracy,” he stated.
The AAC presidential candidate maintained that the survival of democracy depends on the protection of political plurality and the right of citizens to freely associate through political parties of their choice.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has declared that Nigeria is yet to attain genuine democracy, insisting that the country is merely operating a civilian government system without the fundamental pillars of democratic governance.
In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, Adebayo said that despite more than two decades of uninterrupted civilian rule since 1999, successive administrations had failed to strengthen democratic institutions and improve the welfare of citizens.
According to him, the country’s democratic space has continued to shrink while socio-economic challenges have worsened.
“Since 1993, only two things have changed — our problems have become bigger, and our democratic space has become smaller,” he said.
The SDP chieftain argued that democracy should be measured by accountability, adherence to the rule of law, credible elections, and the ability of government to improve the living conditions of citizens.
He warned that Nigeria’s growing poverty rate and worsening insecurity pose serious threats to national stability if urgent action is not taken.
“Poverty has grown and given birth to insecurity. If we fail to address both, they may eventually give rise to instability, revolution, or even genocide,” Adebayo stated.
The remarks by both opposition figures come amid ongoing debates over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, political inclusiveness, and the role of institutions in safeguarding democratic participation ahead of future elections.