In a significant legal development at the Federal High Court in Lokoja, a previous judgment mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party has been set aside.
Presiding Judge, Justice Isah Dashen, ruled on Friday that the original verdict failed to account for the interests of the Peace Movement Party (PMP).
The PMP, which had not been named in the initial proceedings, successfully argued that it held the rights to the logo utilised by the NDC.
Speaking on behalf of the Peace Movement Party, legal counsel C.S. Ekeocha explained that the challenge was mounted after the party discovered that the NDC’s registration application relied upon a logo previously submitted by the PMP to the electoral body.
“The court has ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of 10 December 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined,” Mr Ekeocha stated.
As a direct consequence of this ruling, all actions taken by INEC in accordance with the now-overturned judgment have been reversed. This includes the formal recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its registration certificate, and any inclusion on electoral documentation.
According to Mr Ekeocha, these measures must remain withdrawn until the substantive legal matter is fully resolved.
While the dispute over the NDC’s registration returns to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing, Mr Ekeocha was keen to stress that the final outcome remains pending.
“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,” he added.
