Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Thursday lashed out at President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Obi said that the late military dictator General Sani Abacha was more democratic than Mr Tinubu and his comrades in the defunct pro-democracy group– the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

NADECO, a defunct pro-democracy group of which Mr Tinubu was a member, was formed on May 15, 1994, as a coalition of prominent activists, political leaders, and groups; including the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group – Afenifere, with an aim to end military rule in Nigeria. 

Key founding figures of the group included Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, and Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti. 

Other notable members were Professor Wole Soyinka, Balarabe Musa, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Ganiu Dawodu; and Mr Tinubu; a key strategist and financier of the group.

In a post on X on Thursday, Mr Obi alleged that Mr Tinubu and other individuals in his government, who were defenders of democracy during the years of several military junta that enveloped Nigeria, have now become present-day destroyers of democracy. 

“Yesterday defenders of democracy, today’s destroyers, What a shame. What an irony of history, that the acclaimed defenders of democracy and human rights who claimed to have fought for democracy during the era of General Sani Abacha now find themselves worse than the man they opposed,” Mr Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor’s comments dogged a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to derecognise executive members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition led by David Mark; nor relate with the party’s factional leader, Nafiu Gombe, pending the determination of an ongoing legal dispute. 

In a statement on Wednesday, the commission said its decision emanated from a review of a judgment in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, which arose from a leadership dispute within the ADC.

The commission said it would also remove the names of members of the party’s factional National Working Committee led by Mr Mark from its official portal, in compliance with the court’s directive to maintain the “status quo ante bellum.”

The INEC noted that the decision meant that it would no longer recognise anyone as an executive member or leader of the party pending the determination of an ongoing case before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

Reacting further to the development in his post on X on Thursday, Mr Obi said, “Today, General Sani Abacha, once presumed face of oppression, will be remembered as seemingly more democratic and more respectful of human rights than the so-called champions of activism from the NADECO days. Power indeed reveals character.”

The ADC’s leadership crises began in July 2025, when a new National Working Committee faction led by Mr Mark emerged after the resignation of some executive members of the previous leadership.

However, Mr Gombe, who was the party’s vice-national chairman among the former executives, rejected the arrangement, insisting he did not resign and should have automatically assumed leadership in line with the party’s constitution.

Following the development, he filed a lawsuit seeking to stop members of Mr Mark’s group from parading themselves as party leaders and to compel INEC to recognise him instead.

Mr Mark’s camp challenged the case at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the lower court lacked jurisdiction over the matter. But the Appeal Court dismissed Mr Mark’s appeal and upheld the continuation of the case at the Federal High Court.

Reacting to the Appeal Court’s verdict on Wednesday, INEC said it would be obeying the Court of Appeal’s ruling, which dismissed Mr Mark’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court and ordered parties to maintain the status quo to avoid undermining the ongoing case.

It urged politicians involved to respect judicial processes and avoid actions that could disrupt preparations for the 2027 general elections.