A legal consultant to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has criticised calls urging a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, to abandon his 2027 presidential ambition.

Ejimakor described such appeals as “cowardly and duplicitous,” insisting that claims about President Bola Tinubu’s alleged control of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies should not be used to discourage Obi from contesting.

Naija News reports that in a statement shared via his 𝕏 handle, the lawyer argued that Nigeria’s political history contradicts the notion that incumbency guarantees electoral victory.

According to him, the belief that Obi cannot win because of the perceived influence of the ruling party over state institutions is both misleading and historically inaccurate.

He wrote, “It’s cowardly and duplicitous to suggest that Peter Obi should abandon his 2027 presidential ambition because Tinubu ‘controls’ INEC & security agencies.

“It’s also ahistorical, considering that Jonathan was also in control when he lost to Buhari. Incumbency has its limits.”

Ejimakor maintained that the 2015 presidential election, which saw former President Goodluck Jonathan defeated by Muhammadu Buhari despite being the incumbent, remains a strong example that political power does not automatically translate into electoral victory.

He stressed that democratic processes in Nigeria still provide room for opposition figures to contest and win elections, urging supporters not to be discouraged by claims of institutional bias ahead of the 2027 polls.