“Obi Ought Not to Have Been Allowed to Contest in 2023” — Justice Ayo Salami

A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, has said Peter Obi should not have been allowed to contest in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, Salami argued that Obi’s candidacy did not comply with constitutional requirements governing party membership and nominations.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shortly before the election and joined the Labour Party, where he emerged as its presidential candidate.

Salami maintained that the Labour Party had already submitted its membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before Obi’s defection.

According to him, the constitution does not recognise independent candidacy, raising questions about how Obi became eligible to run.

He also referenced a similar issue involving the governor of Kano State, who was elected under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) but later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Salami questioned the legitimacy of such political transitions where party membership records appear inconsistent.

Beyond electoral matters, the retired jurist criticised the quality of some judicial decisions in Nigeria, attributing errors in judgment to gaps in training and professional competence among certain judges.

He said some judicial officers lack the depth of legal education required for their roles, which may contribute to flawed rulings rather than corruption or external influence.

Salami added that even some appellate decisions have raised concerns, noting that observers are sometimes left questioning the reasoning behind certain judgments.