Court Ruling: NDC Heads to Appeal, Says Party Not Deregistered

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected a ruling of the Federal High Court in Lokoja setting aside its earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party, insisting that it remains a legally recognised political platform and has not been deregistered.

In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Sen. Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the party described the court’s decision as surprising and vowed to challenge it immediately at the Court of Appeal.

According to the NDC, the ruling arose from an application filed by an association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which it said is neither a registered political party nor an association currently seeking registration under the ongoing political process.

The party recalled that in December 2025, it successfully challenged INEC’s refusal to register it as a political party, with the Federal High Court affirming its constitutional right to freedom of association and directing the electoral commission to grant it registration.

Since its registration, the NDC said it has actively participated in the political process by conducting membership registration, holding congresses from ward to national levels, organising conventions and concluding primary elections for various elective positions in line with INEC’s timetable.

The party also noted that it fielded candidates in the recently concluded bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and is currently in the process of submitting its candidates for the 2027 general elections to INEC.

The NDC argued that the court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in the case against INEC and therefore lacked jurisdiction to revisit the matter through a motion filed by a third party.

“There was no order directing our deregistration,” the party stated, assuring its members, candidates and supporters that all nominations already made remain valid and that its platform remains legal and operational.

The party further condemned what it described as attempts to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space and stifle opposition voices, insisting that Nigerians deserve a broad range of political alternatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The NDC maintained that if the Peace Movement Party was aggrieved by the earlier judgment, its proper course of action was to file an appeal within the stipulated period rather than seek to overturn the decision through what it described as “the back door.”

Reaffirming its confidence in the judiciary, the party expressed optimism that justice would prevail at the appellate court and urged its members and supporters to remain calm and focused as it pursues legal remedies.