Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has warned that Nigeria is losing key democratic values and urged citizens to protect the country’s democratic institutions.

Obi spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, where he raised concerns about the state of governance, political parties and the judiciary.

Reflecting on his time as Anambra governor, Obi recalled spending three years in court challenging his election and said judges he had never met ruled in his favour. He questioned whether Nigerians could expect the same level of judicial independence today.

Obi urged citizens to reject practices that weaken democracy, warning that tolerating such actions could create serious consequences for future generations.

“We need to reverse this because the abuse we are allowing today will take its revenge on our children,” he said.

The dialogue focused on the theme: “Beyond elections, can political parties and the judiciary save African democracy?”