Breaking: Court nullifies order directing INEC to register NDC

A Federal High Court in Lokoja has withdrawn its previous order that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

In a ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the earlier judgment delivered on December 10, 2025, could not stand because it affected the interests of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not included in the case.

The PMP had challenged the decision after claiming that the logo used by the NDC to secure its registration belonged to the party and had already been submitted to INEC before the lawsuit began.

Court reverses previous decision

Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the PMP, C. S. Ekeocha, said the court agreed that his client’s rights may have been compromised and therefore cancelled the earlier judgment.

He explained that the court ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the December 2025 decision and directed the claimants to include all relevant parties in the suit before the matter proceeds further.

According to him, the implication is that every step taken by INEC as a result of the earlier ruling has now been undone.

This includes the recognition of the NDC as a political party, the issuance of its registration certificate, and its inclusion in the electoral body’s official records and any ballot-related processes.

Case yet to be concluded

Ekeocha stressed that the legal battle is still ongoing and that the court has not reached a final decision on the substantive issues before it.

He said the latest ruling simply gives all affected parties an opportunity to present their cases before the court reaches a fresh determination.

The lawyer also rejected suggestions that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the judgment specifically restored the situation to what it was before the December 10, 2025 ruling.