Court Nullifies Judgment Recognising NDC as Political Party, Orders INEC to Reverse Registration

A major legal setback has hit the Nigeria Democratic Congress after a Federal High Court in Lokoja nullified its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the party, effectively reversing every action taken under the ruling.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the court’s December 10, 2025 decision adversely affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which was not joined as a party in the original suit despite claiming ownership of the logo used in securing the registration order.

Counsel to the Peace Movement Party, C. S. Ekeocha, told journalists that the party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was based on a logo it had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the case.

According to Ekeocha, the court agreed that the Peace Movement Party’s interests had been affected by the earlier proceedings and consequently set aside the December 10, 2025 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,” he said.

The ruling means every step taken by INEC in compliance with the earlier judgment must now be reversed. This includes the recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s official records and any appearance on ballot papers arising from the vacated judgment.

Ekeocha, however, clarified that the substantive suit has not been concluded. He explained that the court did not determine the merits of the registration dispute but merely vacated its earlier decision to allow all parties with a legal interest in the matter to participate in the proceedings.

“The matter has not been concluded. The court merely set aside its previous judgment and directed that the party whose interests were affected be joined so that all sides can be heard before a fresh decision is reached,” he stated.

He also dismissed claims that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling expressly restored the legal position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment, pending the final determination of the case.

The latest decision introduces fresh uncertainty over the legal status of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and leaves its registration subject to the outcome of the substantive proceedings before the Federal High Court.