By Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala (IG Wala)

The Handshake Movement has watched with a mix of amusement and deep patriotic concern the frantic, desperate, and legally hollow theatrical display performed today at the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu.

Let it be known to the perpetrators of this palace script, the underground puppet masters, and the anxious Nigerian public: this is not a judgment; it is a political hatchet job dressed in judicial robes, and its bubble is already burst.

1. Stripping the Mask.
The Fingerprints of the Office of the Chief of Staff
We in The Handshake Movement do not speak in parables. We deal in hard truth and intelligence. The so-called “National Forum of Former Legislators” who initiated this suit are not independent actors driven by constitutional purism. They are political mercenaries, specifically assembled from the network of individuals who served and worked closely with the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who today commands the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

The strategy was simple but clumsy: use a shadow proxy group to establish plausible deniability for the presidency, while deploying the weight of the state to strangulate the political space. To make this collusion even more laughable, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, an official who is supposed to represent the entire federation, bizarrely abandoned all pretenses of neutrality in April and joined the matter as a plaintiff.

This is a textbook institutional gang-up. It is a manufactured, state-sponsored ambush designed to eliminate the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other viable opposition platforms because the ruling elite is terrified of a fair contest in 2027.

2. The Legal Absurdity and Judicial Contempt!
To the legal mind, today’s pronouncement is a house of cards built on shifting sand. It completely collapses under the weight of two undeniable facts:

A. Overriding the Constitutional Regulator.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the only body legally empowered to register and evaluate political parties, filed an explicit counter-affidavit stating under oath that the ADC has met all constitutional thresholds, broken no laws, and that no basis for deregistration exists. For a trial judge to ignore the regulator’s own submission in favor of a proxy group’s political sentiments is an extraordinary judicial overreach.

B. Defying the Superior Court.
More egregiously, Justice Peter Lifu was fully aware of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal issued on May 22, 2026, directing a strict stay of proceedings on this very matter. By choosing to flagrantly bypass an active directive from a superior court to rush out this verdict, the judge has engaged in a form of institutional rascality that undermines the entire hierarchy of the Nigerian judiciary.

3. The Panicked Subversion of a Failing Regime.
We must ask ourselves: Why the panic?
Why the desperation to wipe viable alternatives off the ballot right after they have successfully concluded their primaries and fields?

The answer lies in the streets of Nigeria. The incumbent administration is facing a massive, irreversible crisis of legitimacy. Having failed completely to secure the lives of our citizens from rampant insecurity, and having plunged millions of families into unprecedented, crushing economic hardship and starvation, the ruling party knows it cannot face the Nigerian electorate in 2027 on the merit of performance.
Because they cannot convince the voters, they have resorted to trying to choose the voters’ options for them. This judgment is a desperate attempt to manufacture a civilian dictatorship by judicial decree. They want to hand a second term to the incumbent without a contest.

Our Unshakeable Position: The Bubble is Burst.
The Handshake Movement warns those who are playing with this political fire to cease and desist immediately. Nigeria belongs to its citizens, not to the whims, caprices, and survival instincts of a panicked cabal operating from the corridors of power.

1. To the Judiciary.
We are immediately petitioning the National Judicial Council (NJC). A judge who actively disregards an appellate court’s stay of proceedings order cannot be allowed to bring the entire legal institution into disrepute for partisan convenience.

2. To our Candidates, Mobilisers, and Millions of Citizens.
Remain completely calm, resolute, and focused. This judgment is legally dead on arrival. The moment the appeal is entered and an immediate Stay of Execution is filed, this desperate ambush is frozen. Do not halt your campaigns. Do not slow down your grassroots structures.

3. To the Oppressors.
You have miscalculated. By trying to bury the opposition through backdoor maneuvering, you have only succeeded in unmasking your desperation and uniting the democratic forces of this country against you.

The ADC and the coalition of progressive movements will be on the ballot in 2027. Democracy cannot, and will not, be strangled in Nigeria.

Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala (IG Wala) is the Lead Advocate, The Handshake Movement

Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.

Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.

The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.

Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.

The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.

But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.

According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.

Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.

He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.

He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.

Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.

“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.

“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.

“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.

“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.

“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.

“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.

“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.

“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”

By Ekunode Ayomipo

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security nationwide following a series of violent incidents that have heightened concerns over the safety of citizens across the country.

The association’s call comes amid reports of fresh abductions in the Old Oyo National Park and attacks on schools in parts of Borno State, incidents that have once again brought the nation’s security challenges to the forefront of public discourse.

CAN expressed deep concern over the continued rise in kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and other forms of violent crime, stressing that urgent and decisive measures are needed to prevent further deterioration of the security situation.

According to the association, the increasing insecurity has not only claimed lives but has also disrupted economic activities, educational pursuits, and the daily lives of millions of Nigerians. The group maintained that ensuring the safety of citizens remains one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government at all levels.

The latest security concerns have sparked renewed conversations among stakeholders, with many Nigerians urging authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve coordination among security agencies, and adopt more proactive strategies in tackling criminal activities.

Security analysts have repeatedly warned that persistent insecurity could negatively affect national development, discourage investment, and undermine public confidence in government institutions. They argue that addressing the challenge requires a comprehensive approach that combines military operations, intelligence-driven policing, community engagement, and socio-economic interventions.

The reported abductions within the Old Oyo National Park have also raised questions about the security of tourists, visitors, and communities surrounding major national assets.

Similarly, attacks targeting educational institutions continue to threaten access to education in vulnerable regions, particularly in the North-East.

CAN further urged political leaders, religious organizations, traditional institutions, and civil society groups to work together in promoting peace, unity, and national security. The association emphasized that insecurity should not be viewed as a regional issue but as a national challenge requiring collective action.

As concerns continue to mount, many citizens are calling for stronger measures to safeguard lives and property, while hoping for lasting solutions to the security challenges confronting the nation.

With insecurity remaining one of Nigeria’s most pressing issues, the call by CAN adds to
growing demands for urgent reforms and more effective strategies aimed at restoring peace and stability across the country.