By Kingston Magare 27.6.2026
Social commentator and political analyst Mahmud Jega said President Bola Tinubu’s silence in face of the judicial assault on opposition parties is trouble.
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV Jega noted that there is a general believe these court cases aimed at delegitimatise political parties, is the hand work of the government and its agents; and President’s Tinubu’s silence speaks volumes.
“After what happened in the PDP, politically it is very significant because, unfortunately, it adds to the widespread and growing perception that there is a concerted effort orchestrated by someone to stop all the opposition parties from contesting next year’s election,” Jega said.
So far major political parties the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) have face one form of litigation in a bid to derail and disorganise their activities.
“So, the perception is growing that there is a concerted effort to stop all the opposition parties from contesting next year’s election. Now, actually, that will be like the end of democracy in Nigeria if we don’t have an opposition party,” he said.
He urged President Tinubu to go back in time to learn how Obasanjo reacted to judicial assault of political parties.
“In 2001 when PDP was ruling, and the opposition ANPP at that time was going to hold a convention here in Abuja, and the convention was on Saturday, and already thousands of people were there, they had been campaigning all over the place for party offices, and then on Friday afternoon, a judge of the Abuja High Court, issued an order stopping the convention, and they all had to scatter.
“A few days later, President Obasanjo had his monthly media chat, was asked about that, he said ‘it is wicked, it is wicked,’ he said it three times, that was very important.
“It sent a message, very important. And because of that, possibly the National Judicial Council took steps, and the judge was actually, either retired or sacked. It is very important for the presidency right now to do a similar thing.”