Court voids earlier judgment ordering INEC to register NDC. By Abibu Shehu Ibrahim
Court voids earlier judgment ordering INEC to register NDC.
By Abibu Shehu Ibrahim
A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the judgment delivered on December 10, 2025, affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which was not joined in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo adopted by the NDC.
Counsel for the Peace Movement Party, C.S. Ekeocha, told journalists that his client approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was based on a logo the PMP had earlier submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.
According to Ekeocha, the court ordered all parties to revert to the status quo that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to the suit to enable the court fully determine the issues in dispute.
He said, “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.”
Ekeocha explained that the ruling effectively nullified every action taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment.
“The recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgment must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” he said.
He stressed that the substantive matter remained before the court, noting that the latest ruling merely set aside the previous judgment to allow all parties whose interests might be affected to participate in the proceedings.
“The matter has not been concluded. The court merely set aside its previous judgment and directed that the party whose interests were affected be joined so that all sides can be heard before a fresh decision is reached,” Ekeocha added.
The ruling means the legal dispute over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress will return to the Federal High Court in Lokoja for a fresh hearing after all relevant parties have been joined in the suit.
