By Kamsi Anayo
The 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) as a political party.
Justice Isah Dashen, in the ruling delivered on Friday, held that the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment adversely affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP).
The PMP was not joined as a party in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon in obtaining the judgment.
Counsel PMP, C.S. Ekeocha, told journalists that his client approached the court upon discovering that the NDC’s tendered a logo for its registration which was based on a logo it had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.
Ekeocha said, based on this claim, the court agreed that the applicant’s rights had been infringed upon and consequently vacated the earlier 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.
Earlier this year, the NDC secured a court judgment directing INEC to register it.
However, the registration was challenged by rival political groups, particularly the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), which argued that the NDC failed to comply with statutory requirements for political party registration.
These claims have since been dismissed by the National leader of the NDC, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, who declared that there is no pending court case or appeal challenging the party’s registration,
Dickson said during the maiden national convention of the party on May 9, 2026, the party was duly registered and had put behind all legal issues and was focused on the 2027 general elections.
He dismissed the claim that claims that the party was being rocked by pending legal issues and litigation.
