The Federal High Court in Lokoja has vacated its earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

Presiding Judge Justice Isah Dashen ruled that the previous decision was constitutionally defective because it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties. The court upheld an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), determining it to be a necessary party to the suit. Justice Dashen noted that certain material facts had been suppressed during the initial proceedings, thereby rendering the prior process null and void.

Consequently, the court ordered a restoration of the status quo that existed before the December 2025 judgment and directed that the substantive suit begin afresh with INEC, the PMP, and the NDC as active participants.

Legal Implications and Party Response

Counsel for the PMP, Chikezie Ekeocha, explained that his clients approached the court after discovering the NDC's registration relied on a logo previously submitted to INEC by the PMP. Ekeocha stated that the ruling effectively reverses all actions taken by INEC in compliance with the vacated judgment. This includes withdrawing the NDC’s recognition, its certificate of registration, its inclusion in electoral records, and any appearance on ballot papers, pending the final determination of the fresh suit.

The NDC has firmly rejected the ruling, maintaining that it remains a legally registered entity because the court did not explicitly order its deregistration. Speaking at an emergency press conference in Abuja, NDC National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas announced that the party's legal team would file an appeal on Monday to challenge both the jurisdiction and the propriety of the high court order.

Cleopas questioned the legal standing of the PMP, characterizing it as an unregistered association. He argued that party symbol issues had been settled in the original case and that any grievances should have been pursued via an appeal within the legally prescribed timeframe rather than through a motion to vacate. Despite the ruling, Cleopas assured supporters that the party's preparations for the 2027 general elections remain uninterrupted, and that he was proceeding to INEC to collect the necessary digital codes to upload the names of NDC candidates.

Political Stakeholders React

The judicial development has sparked widespread reaction across Nigeria's political landscape:

• Peter Obi (NDC Presidential Candidate): Speaking at a youth leadership program at Madonna University in Anambra State, Obi characterized the ruling as a politically motivated attempt by federal authorities to keep him off the ballot in 2027. He declared that the legal challenge would not derail his movement, expressing confidence that the appellate process would rectify the situation. Obi also challenged his competitors, including President Bola Tinubu, to a public debate regarding their qualifications to lead the nation.

• Seriake Dickson (NDC Founder): The former Bayelsa State Governor described the judgment as an anti-democratic anomaly aimed at shrinking the nation's political space. He alleged that the legal maneuver was orchestrated by adversaries alarmed by the rapid growth of the NDC within its first five months of formation.

• Legal Experts: Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have raised concerns regarding judicial coordination. John Olusola Baiyeshea, SAN, and Dayo Akinlaja, SAN, noted that while a court can set aside its own judgment under narrow parameters—such as instances of fraud, misrepresentation, or a fundamental lack of jurisdiction—the practice of coordinate courts issuing conflicting orders remains a persistent issue in Nigerian jurisprudence. NDC National Secretary Ikenna Enekweizu added that the legal threshold for a judge to vacate their own ruling had not been met in this instance.

• Opposition Coalitions: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued statements condemning the ruling. ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi warned of encroaching authoritarianism and called for a united opposition front. Similarly, the PDP faction's spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, described the decision as an economic and democratic setback for citizens who had already invested resources into running for office under the NDC platform.

• All Democratic Alliance (ADA): Conversely, ADA promoter Dr. Umar Ardo stated that the court's decision vindicated his long-standing position. Ardo maintained that the NDC had not met the standard procedural requirements during the 2025 party registration cycle and claimed he had previously cautioned opposition leaders about impending legal vulnerabilities.