NDC vows appeal after a Federal High Court voided its INEC registration, insisting it has not been deregistered and will challenge the ruling
The National Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Senator Moses Cleopas, on Friday declared that the party would appeal a Federal High Court ruling that nullified an earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register it as a political party, insisting that the NDC had not been deregistered and would continue its political activities.
Senator Cleopas made the announcement in Abuja through a statement published on the party’s official Facebook page, hours after Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment that had compelled INEC to register the NDC.
The NDC chairman expressed surprise at the ruling, arguing that the applicant, the Peace Movement Party, was neither a registered political party nor part of the registration proceedings that culminated in the earlier judgment.
“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,” Cleopas said.
He assured party members, candidates and supporters that the court’s decision had not brought the party’s political activities to an end.
“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.
Cleopas further argued that the trial court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment and questioned its jurisdiction to overturn that decision through a motion rather than an appeal.
He also accused unnamed interests of attempting to weaken opposition politics through judicial processes.
“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 said.
Describing the application that resulted in Friday’s ruling as “illegal and an outright abuse of court process,” the NDC chairman maintained that any party dissatisfied with the original judgment should have challenged it before the Court of Appeal instead of asking the trial court to revisit its own decision.
As of the time this report was filed, the party’s leadership had convened an emergency press conference at its national secretariat in Abuja to address the implications of the judgment and outline its next legal steps.
Friday’s ruling followed an application filed by the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon in obtaining the December 10, 2025 judgment but was not joined as a party in the original proceedings.
Justice Dashen held that the earlier judgment adversely affected the rights of the applicant and consequently set it aside, directing that all parties return to the position they occupied before the December 10, 2025 decision.
Counsel to the applicant, C.S. Ekeocha, said the court ordered that all necessary parties be joined before the substantive suit is heard afresh.
According to Ekeocha, the ruling effectively reverses every action taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment, including the commission’s recognition of the NDC and the issuance of its certificate of registration, pending a fresh determination of the case.
The legal dispute comes as political parties continue preparations for the 2027 general election. In recent years, party registration and deregistration have remained recurring issues in Nigeria’s electoral landscape, with several court decisions shaping the powers and responsibilities of INEC in recognising political associations seeking full party status.
The outcome of the NDC’s appeal is expected to provide further judicial clarification on the extent of a trial court’s powers after delivering a final judgment and the procedural rights of parties whose interests may be affected by such decisions.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
