The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday nullified its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, effectively throwing the party’s legal status into uncertainty and reopening the contentious battle over its recognition.
Justice Isah Dashen ruled that the December 10, 2025 judgment, which compelled INEC to register the NDC, was fundamentally defective because it was delivered without hearing all parties whose interests were directly affected by the matter.
The court held that the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which challenged the judgment, was a necessary party to the suit and ought to have been joined before any substantive decision was reached.
According to the judge, the failure to hear all interested parties amounted to a constitutional defect that rendered the earlier judgment null and void.
Justice Dashen consequently ordered that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 10, 2025 ruling, pending the determination of the substantive suit, effectively reversing every action taken pursuant to the now-vacated judgment.
The court further directed that the matter should commence afresh, with INEC, the Peace Movement Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress all joined as parties to ensure that the issues in dispute are comprehensively determined.
The ruling represents a major setback for the NDC, whose registration by INEC had followed the earlier court order and was celebrated by supporters as a breakthrough in Nigeria’s political landscape.
In his decision, Justice Dashen also held that certain material facts had been withheld from the court during the previous proceedings, a development he said justified the extraordinary step of setting aside the earlier judgment.
Speaking with journalists after the ruling, counsel for the applicant, Chikezie Ekeocha, said the Peace Movement Party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was allegedly based on a logo that the PMP had earlier submitted to INEC before the commencement of the original suit.
According to Ekeocha, the court accepted that the applicant’s legal rights had been affected by the proceedings that led to the registration of the NDC.
“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,” he stated.
He maintained that the implications of the ruling extend to every administrative step taken by INEC pursuant to the invalidated judgment.
“The recognition of the NDC, 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,” Ekeocha said.
He, however, clarified that the substantive controversy surrounding the NDC’s registration remains unresolved and will now be decided after all affected parties have been given an opportunity to present their cases.
“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.
Ekeocha also dismissed suggestions that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling expressly restored the legal position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment.
The development effectively returns the politically sensitive dispute over the NDC’s registration to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing, setting the stage for another legal showdown over the party’s future and raising fresh questions about the procedures governing political party registration in Nigeria.
The decision is expected to reverberate across the nation’s political space, particularly as emerging political movements intensify preparations and alliances ahead of future electoral contests.