Court Sets Aside Earlier Judgment Ordering INEC to Register NDC as Political Party
A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has set aside its earlier judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal dispute over the party’s registration.
The ruling, delivered on Friday by Justice Isah Dashen, effectively nullifies the court’s previous decision of December 10, 2025, and reverses every action taken by INEC based on that judgment. The court also ordered that all parties return to the position they occupied before the earlier ruling while the substantive case proceeds.
Justice Dashen held that the previous judgment was constitutionally defective because it was delivered without hearing all parties whose rights could be affected. Specifically, the court agreed that the Peace Movement Party (PMP) was a necessary party to the suit and should have been joined before any final decision was reached.
According to counsel for the Peace Movement Party, C.S. Ekeocha, the party approached the court after discovering that the NDC allegedly relied on a logo that the PMP had earlier submitted to INEC before the legal proceedings commenced. He argued that the omission of his client from the original suit denied the party the opportunity to defend its interests.
In its ruling, the court accepted the argument that the rights of the Peace Movement Party had been adversely affected by the earlier judgment. Consequently, Justice Dashen vacated the previous order compelling INEC to register the NDC and directed that the matter be heard afresh after all necessary parties have been joined.
The decision means that every action taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment—including the recognition of the NDC as a political party and any administrative steps flowing from that recognition—has been set aside pending the fresh determination of the case.
Legal observers say the judgment reinforces the principle of fair hearing, emphasizing that courts must ensure all parties with a direct interest in a dispute are given the opportunity to present their case before a final decision is reached.
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The latest ruling does not determine the merits of the NDC’s application for registration. Instead, it reopens the case, allowing the court to reconsider the issues after hearing from all affected parties. The substantive suit therefore remains pending before the Federal High Court in Lokoja.
