Court Voids Judgment Recognising NDC as Political Party

By Opeyemi Adelakun

A Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgment directing INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The court ruled that the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claims ownership of the NDC’s logo, was not joined in the original suit.

The case will now return to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing with all relevant parties included.

A Federal High Court in Lokoja has overturned its earlier judgment that recognised the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, ordering that the case be reheard after all interested parties are joined.

Justice Isah Dashen ruled that the earlier decision affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not included in the original proceedings despite claiming ownership of the logo used by the NDC.

Counsel to the PMP, 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 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the case commenced.

According to him, the court directed all parties to return to the positions they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgment and ordered the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues are fully determined.

Ekeocha said the ruling effectively nullifies all actions taken by INEC based on the earlier judgment, including the recognition of the NDC, issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records and any appearance on ballot papers.

He, however, clarified that the substantive case remains pending before the court, stressing that the latest ruling only set aside the earlier judgment to allow all affected parties to be heard.

The decision means the dispute over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress will return to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing with all relevant parties participating.