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Stop Undermining Democracy, Shutting Out Opposition – Makinde Tells Tinubu
Stop Undermining Democracy, Shutting Out Opposition – Makinde Tells Tinubu
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde appeals to President Bola Tinubu to protect democratic institutions and stop attempts to shut out opposition parties following the court ruling on the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Makinde made the appeal during an interview with Bauchi Radio Broadcasting on Friday, November 6, 2026, a day after a Federal High Court nullified the David Mark-led ADC leadership and decisions taken under it.
Former presidential aspirant and media entrepreneur Dele Momodu expresses doubts that Tinubu would heed the appeal, warning of serious national consequences and drawing parallels with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The ADC has challenged the judgment at the Court of Appeal and applied for a stay of execution, while INEC’s position on the ruling remains subject to receipt of the certified true copy.
November 7, () – Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to stop actions capable of undermining Nigeria’s democratic institutions and shutting out opposition parties following a Federal High Court judgement nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a development that has thrown the party’s preparations for the 2027 general election into uncertainty.
Makinde made the appeal during an interview with Bauchi Radio Broadcasting on Friday, November 6, while reacting to the court ruling, which has also raised questions over the political future of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his presidential ambition on the ADC platform.
Addressing the President, Makinde stressed that political administrations were temporary, while Nigeria and its democratic institutions must endure.
Every second brings Nigerians closer to exercising their democratic right and shaping the future of our nation.
Exercise your democratic right responsibly, peacefully and lawfully.
“Governments will come and go, but our country will remain. Please, do not destroy our institutions, be it the Judiciary or INEC. Stop trying to shut out the opposition”, he said.
The governor urged the Tinubu administration to allow the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to discharge their constitutional responsibilities without interference, insisting that political parties should be allowed to compete freely.
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He also urged the President to respect the independence of institutions responsible for upholding the country’s democratic process.
Makinde’s intervention followed the judgement delivered on Thursday, November 5, by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the leadership of the ADC under former Senate President David Mark.
The judgement arose from a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the party’s caretaker leadership assumed control following the resignation of its former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu.
Gombe had argued that he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership following Nwosu’s departure.
The court ruled against the disputed leadership structure, with its decision affecting the validity of actions taken under the Mark-led leadership, including the process that produced candidates for the 2027 general election.
The ruling has generated uncertainty within the ADC, which had become a rallying platform for opposition figures seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Atiku, who served as Vice-President between 1999 and 2007 and contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had joined the ADC as part of efforts by opposition figures to build a formidable political platform ahead of the next general election.
He subsequently emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, making the court ruling particularly significant to the opposition coalition’s preparations.
President Bola Tinubu
Meanwhile, former presidential aspirant and media entrepreneur Dele Momodu has expressed doubts that Tinubu would heed Makinde’s appeal, alleging that individuals around the President were encouraging actions capable of weakening opposition parties.
Momodu, who shared the video of Makinde’s interview, said the President was being influenced by hardliners who, according to him, were prioritising their interests over the country’s democratic stability.
Drawing parallels with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Momodu warned that the current political developments could have serious consequences for Nigeria.
He wrote: “I assure you, sir, he won’t listen unless he is confronted. He has the hawks goading him on. This was how the June 12, 1993 presidential election was recklessly annulled and Nigeria is still bleeding till this day. Truth is, Tinubu has already crossed the Rubicon and the consequences will be severe on our long-suffering nation.”
Momodu further accused those around the President of placing personal interests above the collective interests of Nigerians, expressing concern that the country could face another major national crisis.
He also called for divine intervention to prevent what he described as another national disaster.
The June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s freest and fairest polls, was won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola but annulled by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida.
The annulment triggered widespread protests and political instability, becoming a defining moment in Nigeria’s struggle for the restoration of democratic government. The country eventually returned to civilian rule in May 1999.
The ADC has rejected the Federal High Court judgment and approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision, alongside an application seeking a stay of execution pending the determination of the appeal.
The party has also notified INEC of the legal action and urged the commission not to take steps that could affect its leadership or candidates while the appeal remains pending.
INEC, meanwhile, said it was yet to receive the certified true copy of the judgment and had not taken a definitive position on its implications.
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