The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Friday rejected the Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja that set aside an earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the party.
The party announced that it would challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal while assuring its members, candidates and supporters that its activities would continue.
The reaction came hours after Justice Isah Dashen nullified the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment, which had ordered INEC to register the NDC as a political party. In a statement released on the party’s official Facebook page, National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas said the leadership was dissatisfied with the latest decision and had instructed its legal team to begin the appeal process immediately.
According to the party, the court did not order its deregistration. Cleopas argued that the applicant in the case, the Peace Movement Party, was neither a registered political party nor directly involved in the registration process that led to the earlier judgment. He also maintained that the trial court no longer had the authority to revisit its final judgment through a motion after the case had already been concluded.
The NDC chairman assured members that the court’s decision would not stop the party from preparing for future elections. He said all candidates remained part of the party and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would review the matter and deliver a favourable outcome.
Cleopas also accused unnamed individuals of trying to reduce political competition by using the courts to weaken opposition parties. He argued that Nigerians deserve different political choices and should be free to support any platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He further described the application that resulted in the ruling as an abuse of the court process, insisting that anyone dissatisfied with the original judgment should have appealed instead of seeking to overturn it through a fresh application.
The party later convened an emergency press conference at its national secretariat in Abuja to address the latest development and reassure members of its next legal steps.
The ruling followed an application filed by the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo used in the case that led to the registration order. Justice Dashen held that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the party because it was not joined in the original suit despite its interest in the matter.
Counsel for the applicant, C.S. Ekeocha, explained that the court directed all parties to return to the position they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgment. He added that the court also ordered that every necessary party be included before the case is heard again.
According to the applicant’s lawyer, the ruling temporarily reverses actions taken by INEC following the earlier judgment, including the recognition of the NDC and the issuance of its certificate of registration, until the court reaches a fresh decision after hearing all parties involved.