Court Overturns Judgment Recognising NDC As Political Party

A Federal High Court in Lokoja has Overturned its previous ruling that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

Delivering judgment in suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, Justice Isah Dashen ruled that the earlier decision, delivered on December 10, 2025, was flawed because not all parties with an interest in the case were given the opportunity to be heard.

The decision followed an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it had a legal stake in the matter and should have been included in the proceedings before the court reached its earlier verdict.

Justice Dashen agreed with the argument, stating that the PMP had shown enough interest to participate in the case.

He held that excluding the party from the proceedings made the earlier judgment legally invalid.

The judge also noted that important facts were not presented to the court during the original hearing, making it necessary to overturn the previous order.

The court subsequently directed that the situation be returned to what it was before the December 2025 judgment until the main case is fully decided.

Justice Dashen further ordered that the case should start afresh, with INEC, the Peace Movement Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress all joined as parties in the fresh proceedings.

Earlier, on February 5, 2026, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed that only two out of eight associations seeking registration met the requirements for final assessment and verification under the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

However, the NDC was eventually registered after the earlier court ruling.

Amupitan had explained that the Federal High Court in Lokoja, in the case between Barrister Takori Mohammed Sanni and others against INEC, directed the commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

ALSO READ: Peter Obi Emerges NDC’s Sole Presidential Aspirant For 2027 Election