The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to remove the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) from its register of political parties following a ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja that overturned an earlier judgment compelling the commission to register the party.
INEC disclosed that it has applied for the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the latest judgment and will take appropriate action once the document is received.
Speaking on Friday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission would abide by the court’s decision.
“We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Until we receive it, we cannot be in a position to comment on it. However, the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment was that INEC rejected NDC’s letter of intent to be registered as a political party,” Haruna said.
The development follows Friday’s ruling by Justice Isah Dashen, who set aside the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment that had directed INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
The court ruled that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not joined in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon by the NDC in securing the registration order.
Counsel to the PMP, C. S. Ekeocha, said the ruling effectively reversed all actions taken pursuant to the earlier judgment.
According to him, 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its inclusion in INEC’s records and any appearance on ballot papers arising from the earlier judgment must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit.
Ekeocha further stated that the court ordered all parties to revert to the position they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgment and directed that all necessary parties be joined to enable the substantive issues in the case to be fully determined.
He clarified that the substantive suit remains pending before the Federal High Court and has yet to be decided.
With the matter returning to the trial court for a fresh hearing, INEC is expected to restore the status quo that existed before the December 2025 judgment, pending the final determination of the case, a development that could have implications for preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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