Deregistration: Obi once Gained from Judicial Decision— Gov Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged politicians to avoid politicizing judicial decisions, citing that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has himself benefited from past court rulings.

In an exclusive interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Sani addressed concerns regarding the Federal High Court’s ruling affecting the NDC’s registration. He emphasized that maintaining confidence in the judiciary is crucial for the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.

The governor stated that politicians should not praise the courts when judgments favor them, only to condemn the judiciary when decisions go against their interests.

“For those of us who believe in democracy, the rule of law, and the judiciary, we must be very careful. Politicizing every judicial issue is not healthy for us,” he said.

Recalling Obi’s political history, Sani noted that the former Anambra State governor had secured his mandate through a landmark judicial pronouncement.

“Many actors involved today were also beneficiaries of judicial decisions in this country. The leader of the NDC himself—the presidential candidate, Peter Obi—benefited from a very strong judicial pronouncement when he was governor.

“When it favors politicians, they see the judiciary as the best recourse. When it goes against them, they view the judiciary as the worst place to go,” he added.

While acknowledging that no judicial system is perfect, the governor insisted that democrats must continue to trust the courts and other democratic institutions.

“As a democrat, you must believe in the system. Believe in our judiciary. I have no doubt in my mind that our judiciary is not perfect, nor is any judiciary perfect anywhere in the world. But in any case, can we have faith in the system?” he asked.

Sani also dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or President Bola Tinubu’s administration was behind the internal challenges faced by opposition parties.

“What evidence is there that the ruling party is involved in what is happening to them? If you ask me, sincerely speaking, it’s simply because they are only jumping from one party to another looking for a platform to contest elections. They are not organized,” he said.

According to the governor, recurring crises within opposition parties stem from disagreements over presidential ambitions and power-sharing, rather than external interference.

He argued that political parties built solely as election vehicles, rather than on shared ideology, would continue to struggle with unity.