Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A leading House of Representatives aspirant for the Esan Central, Esan West and Igueben Federal Constituency on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Comrade Emmanuel Ogbidi, has launched a scathing attack on the recent Federal High Court (FHC) judgment affecting the party, describing the ruling as one afflicted by “political Ebola and judicial kwashiorkor.”
Speaking with journalists, Ogbidi argued that the judgment was devoid of the essential ingredients of fair and credible judicial adjudication, insisting that the decision was politically orchestrated rather than rooted in law and justice.
According to him, the NDC was neither shocked nor discouraged by the verdict, maintaining that the ruling was part of a calculated attempt to weaken the party’s growing influence and derail its rising momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He alleged that certain political interests, unsettled by the increasing acceptance and grassroots appeal of the NDC across the country, had resorted to using the courts as instruments to frustrate the party’s progress.
Ogbidi, however, expressed confidence that the judgment would not diminish the resolve of party members or supporters, stressing that the NDC remained focused on consolidating its structures and presenting what he described as a credible alternative for Nigerians in the next electoral cycle.
“The recent Federal High Court judgment sitting in Kogi State can best be described as a judgment suffering from political Ebola or, if you like, judicial kwashiorkor because it lacks the sacred ingredients of judicial proceedings and the tenets of legal engagement,” he said.
According to him, rather than weaken the party, the judgment has further increased public attention on the NDC.
“That very unpopular judgment has instead popularised and advertised the NDC as a political party that is ready to take over the responsibility of governance after the 2027 election with a landslide victory,” Ogbidi stated.
He maintained that the party remains undeterred, insisting that no judicial or political action would prevent the NDC from participating in the 2027 elections.
“The NDC is a political idea whose time has come, and no political force can stop an idea whose time has come. We are not discouraged or distracted. We will continue to mobilise Nigerians across the country,” he said.
Ogbidi disclosed that the party’s legal team had already commenced steps to challenge the judgment at the appellate court, expressing confidence that justice would ultimately prevail.
He argued that the trial court lacked the authority to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered a final judgment.
“When a court of competent jurisdiction delivers a final judgment, it becomes functus officio and cannot revisit the matter except under exceptional circumstances such as lack of jurisdiction, fraud, or where the judgment is a nullity. None of these conditions exists in this case,” he argued.
Ogbidi recalled that the original judgment delivered on December 10, 2025, had resolved issues relating to the NDC’s logo, holding that no registered political party or association had any valid claim over it, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not challenge that decision.
He questioned the circumstances under which the matter was revisited nearly six months later, alleging that unnamed political interests were behind the renewed litigation.
He warned that such judicial actions could erode public confidence in the nation’s judiciary if not addressed.
“Actions like this are capable of making Nigerians lose confidence in some of our judges and the judicial system. However, we believe these abnormalities will be corrected by the higher courts,” he said.
Ogbidi, who doubles as the Edo State Coordinator of Senator Henry Seriake Dickson Movement (Ofurumapepe Movement), reaffirmed that the NDC would continue its nationwide mobilisation, including in
