A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South-East, Dr. George Agbakahi has described allegations by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that there are plans to prevent him from contesting the 2027 presidential election as baseless, unfortunate and politically motivated.
Agbakahi, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, weekend, argued that claims of executive interference in the electoral process should be backed by credible and verifiable evidence rather than speculation or political rhetoric.
Reacting to Obi’s allegations that there are plots to block his presidential ambition, Agbakahi said there was no publicly available evidence linking the Federal Government or the Presidency to any scheme aimed at preventing any qualified opposition figure from participating in the 2027 election.
According to him, “legal issues surrounding the registration status of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, are matters currently before the courts and stem from disputes involving political parties rather than actions initiated by the Federal Government.”
He maintained that “Nigeria’s constitutional framework guarantees the independence of the judiciary and provides avenues for litigants dissatisfied with court decisions to seek redress through the appellate process.”
Agbakahi also emphasized the autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that the commission is constitutionally empowered to regulate political parties and conduct elections without interference.
He stated that all political parties are expected to comply with constitutional and statutory requirements, stressing that legal and regulatory scrutiny of political organizations is a normal feature of democratic governance and should not automatically
