The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected a Federal High Court ruling setting aside its earlier registration judgment, insisting it remains a legally registered political party and has commenced plans to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
LOKOJA – The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the Federal High Court ruling that set aside an earlier judgment compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party, insisting that it remains a legally registered political party and will immediately challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the party described Friday’s ruling by Justice Isah Dashen as legally flawed and maintained that it does not invalidate the party’s current legal status.
According to the NDC, the ruling followed an application filed by an unregistered association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP).
The party recalled that it had approached the Federal High Court in December 2025 after INEC declined to register it as a political party. It said the court upheld its constitutional right to freedom of association and ordered the electoral commission to register the party, a directive which INEC subsequently complied with.
The NDC stated that since its registration, it has carried out political activities across the country, including membership registration, ward, local government, state and national congresses, national conventions and primary elections in line with INEC’s timetable.
It further stated that it had participated in recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and had nominated candidates for House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential and vice-presidential elections.
The party argued that the Peace Movement Party is neither a registered political party nor an association currently participating in INEC’s registration process.
According to the statement, the group merely claimed that it sought registration in 2015 using the victory sign as its party symbol but was denied by the electoral commission.
The NDC further contended that the application filed before the court was merely a motion seeking to set aside the earlier judgment rather than a substantive suit or an appeal.
It maintained that the Federal High Court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment and therefore lacked the jurisdiction to revisit the matter.
The party also argued that issues relating to its logo, symbol and party colours had already been conclusively determined in the earlier judgment, which was never appealed.
While confirming that Justice Dashen set aside the December 2025 judgment, the party stressed that the court did not issue any order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“We have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order,” the statement said.
The party assured its members, supporters and candidates that its platform remains valid and that all nominations already conducted remain legally effective pending the outcome of the appeal.
The NDC also accused unnamed interests of attempting to use the judiciary to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space and weaken opposition voices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It argued that if the Peace Movement Party believed it was affected by the earlier judgment, the appropriate legal remedy was to file an appeal within the prescribed period rather than seek to overturn the decision through a motion, describing the application as “an outright abuse of court process.”
Expressing confidence in the appellate court, the party said it believed the Court of Appeal would overturn the ruling and reaffirm its legal status, while thanking Nigerians, party members and supporters for their continued confidence.
GMT News Nigeria had earlier reported that the Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its December 2025 judgment which had compelled INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party. However, while nullifying the earlier judgment, the court did not issue any order directing INEC to deregister the party, a position the NDC has relied upon in maintaining that it remains a legally registered political party pending the determination of its appeal.
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