Abuja 26th June 2026
By Njenje Media News
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected reports suggesting it has been deregistered as a political party, insisting that no such order was made by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja and announcing that it has commenced legal steps to challenge the court’s latest ruling at the Court of Appeal.
In a statement made available to Njenje Media News on Friday, the party described the ruling by Justice Isah Dashen as legally flawed and maintained that its registration remains valid pending the outcome of its appeal.
The controversy stems from a ruling delivered by the Federal High Court in Lokoja on an application filed by an association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which sought to set aside an earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.
According to the NDC, the party initially approached the Federal High Court in December 2025 after INEC declined to register it. The court ruled in its favour, holding that the refusal violated its constitutional right to freedom of association, and subsequently ordered INEC to register the party.
Since obtaining registration, the NDC said it has fully integrated into Nigeria’s political process. The party stated that it has conducted membership registration nationwide, organized congresses from ward to national levels, held its national convention, completed primary elections for all elective offices, and participated in all INEC activities.
The party further noted that it successfully fielded candidates during the recently concluded bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu States. It also disclosed that candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, Vice-Presidential and Presidential elections have already emerged through its internal processes and are awaiting formal submission to INEC in line with the electoral timetable.
Reacting to the latest court ruling, the NDC said the Peace Movement Party is neither a registered political party nor an association currently participating in the ongoing political registration exercise. According to the party, PMP’s application was based on claims that it had unsuccessfully sought registration in 2015 using the “Victory” symbol.
The NDC argued that the court had already resolved all issues relating to the use of party symbols and colours during its original judgment in 2025. It maintained that the Federal High Court had become functus officio, having delivered a final judgment on the matter, and therefore lacked jurisdiction to revisit the case through a motion rather than a substantive appeal.
According to the party, the court merely set aside its earlier judgment but did not issue any order directing the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“There was no order directing our deregistration,” the statement emphasized, adding that reports claiming otherwise are inaccurate.
The party announced that its legal team has been instructed to immediately challenge the decision before the Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the application or reverse its own final judgment.
The NDC reassured its candidates, members and supporters that all nominations already conducted remain valid and that preparations for the 2027 general elections will continue while the appeal is being pursued.
The party also accused unnamed individuals of attempting to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space by allegedly using the judiciary to undermine opposition platforms.
According to the statement, efforts to reverse the party’s registration through what it described as “the back door” constitute an abuse of court process, especially since any party dissatisfied with the original 2025 judgment ought to have filed an appeal within the legally prescribed period.
The NDC further argued that any appeal against the original judgment would now be statute-barred, making the latest application procedurally defective.
While expressing confidence that justice would prevail on appeal, the party thanked its members, supporters and candidates for their continued confidence, insisting that its political platform remains lawful and operational.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had not issued an official response to the latest court ruling or the NDC’s position.
Njenje Media News understands that the legal dispute is expected to proceed to the Court of Appeal, where the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to revisit its earlier judgment will be one of the central issues for determination.
Njenje Media News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as the legal proceedings unfold.
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