INEC REGISTRATION: Court overturns order recognizing NDC as political party
A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has overturned its earlier judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the presiding judge, Justice Isah Dashen, ruled on Friday that the previous judgment was constitutionally defective because it was delivered without hearing from all interested and necessary parties.
Declaring the previous process null and void due to the omission, Justice Dashen ordered that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 2025 judgment, pending the final determination of the substantive suit.
The court observed that certain material facts were suppressed during the earlier proceedings, justifying the decision to set aside the initial judgment.
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The substantive suit will now begin afresh, officially joining INEC, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), and the NDC as core parties to the case.
The court upheld an application filed by the PMP, ruling that the party’s interests were directly tied to the suit and it must be heard before a definitive decision can be made.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the PMP, Chikezie Ekeocha, explained that his client approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration bid relied on a logo the PMP had already submitted to INEC prior to the lawsuit.
Ekeocha noted that the court agreed the applicant’s rights were violated by the omission and consequently vacated the earlier judgment.
“The court has ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of December 10, 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined,” Ekeocha said.
According to the defense counsel, the immediate implication of Friday’s ruling is the total reversal of any action taken by INEC in compliance with the now-vacated December order.
The formal recognition of the NDC is suspended, the certificate of registration issued to the party must be withdrawn, and the party’s inclusion in INEC’s official records and any placeholder appearances on ballot papers are halted pending the final outcome of the fresh trial.
Ekeocha clarified that the case itself has not been dismissed or concluded. Rather, the court has reset the legal process to ensure a fair, all-inclusive hearing before a new determination is made.
