By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Former President of the Court of Appeal, Isa Ayo Salami, has stirred fresh political controversy after declaring that Peter Obi “ought not to have contested” the 2023 presidential election, citing constitutional inconsistencies in his candidacy.
Salami made this assertion on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Ilorin, Kwara State, during a courtesy visit by officials of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), where he was honoured with an award.
According to the retired jurist, Obi’s emergence as the candidate of the Labour Party was flawed because the party had already submitted its membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before Obi defected from the Peoples Democratic Party. He argued that Nigeria’s Constitution does not recognise independent candidacy, questioning how Obi became a valid candidate without prior membership status.
Salami further blamed what he described as declining judicial competence for allowing such legal irregularities to stand, noting that some court decisions (even at the Supreme Court level) are increasingly questionable.
The remarks have reignited debate over the legality of the 2023 elections, raising broader concerns about judicial integrity, electoral compliance, and the interpretation of constitutional provisions in Nigeria’s democratic process.
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