INEC to delist NDC after court ruling

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is preparing to remove the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) from its list of registered political parties after a Federal High Court decision overturned a ruling that had required the commission to register the party.

INEC, which had previously declined the NDC’s registration request, said on Friday that it had requested a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the most recent judgment and would follow the court’s directive once the document is received.

“We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Until we receive it, we cannot be in a position to comment on it. However, the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment was that INEC rejected NDC’s letter of intent to be registered as a political party,” INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, told Saturday Vanguard.

Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside the court’s earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which had directed INEC to register the NDC as a political party.

The court held that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not joined in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo used by the NDC to obtain the registration order.

Counsel for the PMP, C. S. Ekeocha, said the ruling effectively reversed all actions taken under the earlier judgment.

“The recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, 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registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgment must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” he said.

Ekeocha added that the court ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgment and directed that all necessary parties be joined to allow the substantive issues to be fully resolved.

He also clarified that the substantive suit remains pending before the Federal High Court and has not yet been decided.

With the matter now returning to the trial court for a fresh hearing, INEC is expected to restore the status that existed before the December 2025 judgment, pending the final determination of the case.