Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the recently concluded Local Government elections in Rivers State, describing the exercise as a “mockery of democracy.”

In a statement shared via his official X handle on Sunday, Obi said the conduct of the election was “rascality taken too far,” and a double tragedy for Nigeria’s democracy.

The former Anambra State governor faulted the process, noting that when a Sole Administrator—illegally appointed—organises an election that should empower the people, it is no longer democracy but a “desecration of its very foundation.”

Obi stressed that such actions are unconstitutional, legally untenable, and morally indefensible, adding that they send a dangerous signal that the rule of law can be discarded at will by those in power.

“But the truth remains unshaken: illegality can never give birth to legitimacy. Any structure erected on a foundation of lawlessness is a danger to both the state and the people,” he said.

Obi further warned that Nigeria cannot continue on this “perilous path,” urging leaders to respect democratic values, particularly at the grassroots where citizens’ voices matter most.