NDC Vows Appeal After Kogi Court Reverses Party Registration Order

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has declared its intention to challenge the recent decision by the Federal High Court in Lokoja at the Court of Appeal. This ruling overturned an earlier judgment that had mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party. The NDC asserted its continued status as a registered entity and reassured its members, candidates, and supporters that its political operations would proceed unhindered by the court's latest pronouncement.

Senator Moses Cleopas, the NDC National Chairman, conveyed this position via a statement published on the party's official Facebook page. His announcement came just hours after Justice Isah Dashen invalidated the previous judgment from December 10, 2025, which had compelled INEC to grant the party registration. Cleopas expressed the party's astonishment at the new ruling, questioning the standing of the applicant, the Peace Movement Party, which he claimed was neither a registered political party nor involved in the ongoing registration process.

He further contended that the trial court had exhausted its authority (become *functus officio*) upon delivering its final judgment, thereby questioning its jurisdiction to annul its prior decision through a motion. Cleopas stated, "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."

The chairman also affirmed that the ruling would not impact the party's candidates. "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 went on to accuse unspecified individuals of attempting to stifle opposition parties using judicial means. He remarked, "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 labeled the application that led to the court's decision as "illegal and an outright abuse of court process," maintaining that any aggrieved party should have appealed the initial judgment instead of seeking its reversal via a motion.

Following these developments, the party's leadership convened an urgent press conference at its national secretariat in Abuja. This meeting was a direct response to Friday's ruling by Justice Dashen, who annulled the court's previous judgment requiring INEC to register the NDC. The judge's rationale was that the December 10, 2025 judgment negatively affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which asserted ownership of the logo used to secure the initial judgment but was not included as a party in the original suit.

C.S. Ekeocha, counsel for the applicant, confirmed that the court instructed all parties to revert to their status before the December 10, 2025 judgment. The court also mandated that all necessary parties be joined before the substantive suit is heard anew. Ekeocha explained that this ruling effectively nullifies all actions taken by INEC based on the earlier judgment, including the recognition of the NDC and the issuance of its certificate of registration, pending a fresh determination of the case.