Fresh uncertainty has emerged over the participation of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general elections after a Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen nullified the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment, which had directed INEC to recognise the NDC as a registered political party. The decision followed an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it ought to have been joined as a party in the original suit.
The court held that the failure to include the PMP amounted to a denial of fair hearing and rendered the previous judgment invalid. Justice Dashen consequently ordered that all parties return to the position they occupied before the December 2025 judgment, pending the determination of the substantive case. He also said material facts were not presented during the earlier proceedings.
The ruling raises questions over the status of candidates the NDC has nominated for the 2027 elections, including those seeking seats in the National Assembly, governorships and the presidency.
Reacting to the judgment, the NDC dismissed suggestions that it had been deregistered. National Chairman, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, said the decision was a temporary legal setback and confirmed that the party had instructed its lawyers to file an appeal.
“The NDC has not been deregistered,” Zuwoghe said, maintaining that the party had already conducted membership registration, congresses, conventions and primaries in line with INEC’s timetable. He added that the party had also participated in recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states.
The party argued that the Peace Movement Party is not a registered political party and questioned the court’s jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered final judgment. According to the NDC, the appropriate legal remedy for any aggrieved party would have been an appeal rather than a motion seeking to set aside the judgment.
Also reacting, the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) described the ruling as a procedural development rather than a political defeat. Its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., said the movement remained committed to its political agenda and disclosed that its legal team had begun preparations to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
“The movement remains alive. The mission remains alive. The destination remains unchanged,” Zekeri said, insisting that public support for political reform extends beyond the registration status of any single political party.
The judgment comes amid a series of legal disputes involving political parties and INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections. Recent court decisions on party registration, deregistration and election timelines have prompted concerns from legal experts, including senior lawyer Femi Falana, who has urged judicial authorities to address conflicting rulings that could affect the credibility of the electoral process.
