Controversy Follows Court’s De-registration of NDC as INEC Awaits Copy of Judgement
Leaders and members of the National Democratic Congress have faced a tense weekend after a Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, set aside the earlier judgement that directed the Independent...
Leaders and members of the National Democratic Congress have faced a tense weekend after a Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, set aside the earlier judgement that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it will reserve its official position until its legal team receives and thoroughly reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court judgment. The Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the electoral body has not been officially served with the CTC of the ruling.
INEC maintained that once the formal document is obtained, it will study the directives and take appropriate, lawful steps in strict compliance with the Constitution and the court’s explicit pronouncement.
The ruling has generated controversy, with opposition parties suggesting it is part of a broader, politically motivated effort. The NDC has resolved to appeal the judgment, maintaining that the ruling did not direct INEC to deregister the party.
In solidarity, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, criticised the decision, describing it as another attempt by the President to weaken the opposition and prevent a competitive presidential election in 2027.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar accused President Bola Tinubu of undermining Nigeria’s democracy, which could lead to a one-party state.
In a statement issued by Atiku’s media office on Saturday by his media office, Atiku described the reported attempt to deregister the opposition party through judicial means as evidence of what he called the administration’s determination to weaken political opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
On Friday, the Federal High Court’s presiding judge, Isah Dashen, ruled that the initial December 10, 2025, judgement was “constitutionally defective” because it was delivered without hearing from all necessary and interested parties. The court has ordered the case to be heard afresh.
The ruling followed an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP). The PMP asserted ownership over the specific logo and victory sign utilised by the NDC for its registration.
The Reason: Justice Isah Dashen found the initial order was a nullity due to the suppression of material facts and the denial of a fair hearing to an interested party.
The court ordered all parties to return to their status quo before the December 2025 judgment. This effectively reverses INEC’s recognition, its record entries, and the issuance of the NDC’s certificate of registration pending a new trial.
NDC STATEMENT ON COURT RULING
Our attention has been drawn to a ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja this morning, wherein His Lordship, Honourable Justice Isah Dashen, gave a ruling on an application filed by an unregistered association known as Peace Movement Party.
The public knows that by December 2025, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, as an association, complained of INEC’s refusal to register us as a political party, whereupon we proceeded to the Federal High Court. The Federal High Court upheld our constitutional right to freedom of association under the Constitution and compelled INEC to register us, which INEC did.
Since then, we have started political activities, embarked on the registration of members, held congresses from ward to national levels, held conventions, and concluded primaries to all offices following INEC’s timetable. We have been fully participating in all INEC activities without let or hindrance.
NDC also fielded candidates and fully participated in the just-concluded by-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states.
Candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, Presidential, and Vice-Presidential positions have been duly nominated, and we are in the process of formally submitting them to INEC in accordance with INEC’s timetable.
The association that filed the complaint is unknown to us. The Peace Movement Party (PMP) is not a registered political party in Nigeria. They claimed, in a motion (not even a substantive suit or appeal), that the court should set aside its earlier judgment on the purported ground that, in 2015, they had sought registration as a political party with the victory sign as their symbol and were denied.
It is important to note that they are not an association applying for registration now under the exercise that started last year. They are also not a registered political party in Nigeria participating in the political process now, as we are.
Furthermore, the court, having delivered a final judgement in our suit against INEC, had become functus officio. The court had also dealt with all related issues concerning associations claiming they wanted to use the same symbol and colours. The court, in its judgement, overruled INEC when those issues were raised, and there is no appeal against that judgement.
Therefore, we are surprised that, on an application by an association claiming that it wanted to register as a political party with the victory sign in 2015, an association that is not a registered political party and is not seeking registration now to participate in the current political process, His Lordship concluded that they have locus standi and that he has jurisdiction to do what he did.
Accordingly, we have been informed that His Lordship made an order setting aside the court’s earlier decision of December 2025.
There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order.
We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We do not doubt that justice will be done.
We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have a right to a full range of opinions, ideas, and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates should be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which has already gone midway.
It is too late for anyone to attempt to use the judiciary to derail or narrow Nigeria’s multi-party democratic space. If the said association (Peace Movement Party) were a party affected by the judgement on our initial suit, the only option open to it was to appeal the verdict, an option which it did not take. Even at that, the window open for such an appeal has since closed, and any such appeal by now has become statute-barred.
To now try to overturn that verdict through the back door, via a motion, is not only unheard-of but also illegal and an outright abuse of the court process.
We thank Nigerians for their support, and we thank all our candidates, members and supporters for their confidence and trust in the party. We assure them that all nominations made remain valid, that our platform is strong and legal, and that justice will be served.
Sen. Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, National Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), signed the statement.
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