How INEC blocked Peter Obi from registering own party

A fresh controversy has emerged over Peter Obi’s political moves, with his campaign photographer alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected multiple attempts to register a new political party despite the group meeting all requirements.

Esther Umoh made the claim on X while defending Obi’s recent defection from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“Lol I see people say this and I laugh. I have pictures of the day INEC came to physically assess one of the parties we tried to register. We met all the requirements but we were denied. You don’t know the evil we’re up against,” she wrote in response to critics of the move.

Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and former Kano Governor Musa Kwankwaso, NNPP’s 2023 flagbearer, formally joined the NDC on Sunday. They received their membership cards after a closed-door meeting with NDC leaders, including former Bayelsa Governor and party stalwart Seriake Dickson.

The development comes amid a wave of political realignments as opposition figures reposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Umoh’s allegation has since gained traction online, with some commentators accusing INEC of being a “compromised umpire” and questioning the transparency of its party registration process. 

INEC has not publicly responded to the claim.