NDC Heads to Appeal Court, Insists It Remains Registered Despite Lokoja High Court Ruling

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has insisted that it remains a legally registered political party despite a Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja setting aside an earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it.

The party, in a statement issued on Friday by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, said it had instructed its legal team to immediately challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

The reaction followed a decision by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, on an application filed by an association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP).

According to the NDC, it had approached the Federal High Court in December 2025 after INEC declined to register it as a political party. The court subsequently ruled in its favour, affirming its constitutional right to freedom of association and directing INEC to register the party.

The party said that since its registration, it has conducted ward, local government, state and national congresses, held its national convention, completed primary elections for all elective offices, and participated fully in INEC’s political activities.

It added that it also fielded candidates in the recent by-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and had concluded the nomination of candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential and vice-presidential elections ahead of submission to INEC.

The NDC argued that the Peace Movement Party, which filed the application leading to Friday’s ruling, is neither a registered political party nor an association currently seeking registration under INEC’s ongoing registration exercise.

The party maintained that the trial court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in December 2025 and therefore lacked the jurisdiction to revisit the matter through a motion filed by a third party.

While acknowledging that Justice Dashen set aside the earlier judgment, the NDC stressed that the court did not order its deregistration.

“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision and have instructed our lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of the order,” the statement said.

The party assured its candidates, members and supporters that its platform remained valid and that all nominations already conducted were unaffected.

The NDC also accused unnamed individuals of attempting to use the judiciary to narrow Nigeria’s democratic space and suppress opposition voices ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It argued that if the Peace Movement Party believed it was affected by the original judgment, the proper legal remedy was to file an appeal within the prescribed time, rather than seek to overturn the judgment through a motion.

The party expressed confidence that the appellate court would overturn the ruling and reaffirm its legal status.