A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), throwing the future of the party into uncertainty ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, delivered on Friday by Justice Isah Dashen, effectively reverses the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment, which had directed INEC to issue the NDC its certificate of registration.
The decision followed an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), an association that claimed ownership of the logo adopted by the NDC. The court held that the earlier judgment was made without joining the PMP as an interested party, thereby denying it the opportunity to present its case.
Justice Dashen ordered that all parties return to the status quo pending a fresh hearing of the substantive suit with all relevant stakeholders properly joined.
Counsel to the applicant, C.S. Ekeocha, said the ruling effectively nullifies all actions taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment, including the issuance of the NDC’s certificate of registration, until the matter is finally determined.
The judgment has sparked strong reactions from opposition leaders, many of whom described it as a setback to the country’s multi-party democracy.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who joined the NDC earlier this year alongside members of the Obidient Movement and allies of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, described the ruling as a temporary legal obstacle rather than the end of the party’s political aspirations.
Obi urged supporters to remain calm, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved through the judicial process.
Similarly, the party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, dismissed reports suggesting the NDC had been dissolved. He announced that the party’s legal team had begun the process of filing an appeal and would seek a stay of execution of the judgment.
According to him, the party will continue with its scheduled ward, state and national congresses while awaiting the outcome of the appeal, insisting that the legal battle does not mark the end of the NDC.
The ruling also drew criticism from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tanimu Turaki, as well as members of the NDC caucus in the House of Representatives. They alleged that the court decision could undermine political pluralism and weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Court of Appeal is expected to determine the next phase of the legal battle, which could have significant implications for the NDC’s participation in the upcoming electoral cycle.
