A Federal High Court in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the December 10, 2025 judgment could not stand because it affected the legal interests of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not joined in the suit.
The court noted that the PMP claimed ownership of the logo used by the NDC in its registration application. Since the party was not given the opportunity to present its case, the court ruled that its right to a fair hearing had been breached.
Justice Dashen therefore nullified the earlier judgment, restored all parties to their positions before the December 10, 2025 ruling, and directed the claimants to include all necessary parties before the substantive case is heard again.
Counsel to the PMP, C.S. Ekeocha, said his client approached the court after discovering that the NDC had relied on a logo previously submitted to INEC by the PMP. According to him, the court agreed that the party’s legal rights were affected and that it deserved to be heard.
Ekeocha added that the ruling automatically reverses all actions taken by INEC under the earlier judgment, including the NDC’s registration, issuance of its certificate, inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on election ballot papers. He, however, stressed that the case remains pending, noting that the court only set aside its previous judgment to ensure all affected parties are heard before a fresh decision is delivered.
