The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will review the recent Federal High Court judgment directing it to withdraw the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after obtaining the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.
Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, who had ordered INEC to register the NDC as a political party in a judgment delivered on December 10, 2025, reversed the decision on Friday, stating that the earlier ruling failed to consider the interests of other parties involved in the case.
Reacting to the development, a senior INEC official said the Commission would only take a formal position after its legal department receives and studies the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
“Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives. Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling,” the official said.
The official noted that before the December 2025 judgment, INEC had rejected the NDC’s application for registration as a political party.
The court held that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon by the NDC in obtaining its registration but was not joined in the original suit.
Counsel to the PMP, C.S. Ekeocha, argued that the latest ruling effectively nullifies all actions taken under the earlier judgment, including the NDC’s registration, issuance of its certificate, inclusion in INEC’s records and any appearance on ballot papers, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Meanwhile, NDC National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, described the court’s decision as lacking legal merit.
According to Dickson, the ruling was intended to undermine the credibility and growing influence of the party.
“I, like several other leaders, officials, candidates of the NDC, and members of the public, was jolted by the order issued by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja,” he said.
He maintained that the NDC would challenge the judgment through the appellate courts and insisted the party remained committed to pursuing all available legal remedies.
