The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Friday vowed to challenge at the Court of Appeal the ruling of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the party.
The party insisted it had not been deregistered and assured its members, candidates and supporters that its political activities would continue despite the court’s decision.
NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, disclosed this in a statement posted on the party’s official Facebook page hours after Justice Isah Dashen nullified the December 10, 2025 judgment that compelled INEC to register the party.
Cleopas said the party was surprised by the ruling, arguing that the applicant, the Peace Movement Party, was neither a registered political party nor part of the current registration process.
He maintained that the trial court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment and questioned its jurisdiction to set aside the earlier decision through a motion.
“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order,” he said.
Cleopas also assured party faithful that its candidates remained unaffected by the ruling.
“We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We have no doubt that justice will be done,” he added.
The NDC chairman accused unnamed forces of attempting to suppress opposition parties through the courts.
“We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have a right to a full range of opinions, ideas, and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates should be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which has already gone midway,” he stated.
He further described the application that led to the ruling as “illegal and an outright abuse of court process,” insisting that any aggrieved party ought to have appealed the original judgment rather than seek to overturn it through a motion.
As of the time of filing this report, the party’s leadership had convened an emergency press conference at its national secretariat in Abuja.
The development followed Friday’s ruling by Justice Dashen, who set aside the court’s earlier judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
The judge held that the December 10, 2025 judgment adversely affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon in obtaining the judgment but was not joined as a party in the suit.
Counsel for the applicant, C.S. Ekeocha, said 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 before the substantive suit is heard afresh.
He said the ruling effectively reverses every action taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment, including the recognition of the NDC and the issuance of its certificate of registration, pending a fresh determination of the case.
