A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has overturned its previous judgment that directed 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 earlier judgment could not stand because all parties with a legal interest in the matter were not given the opportunity to present their case before the decision was made.
The court granted an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), agreeing that the party was a necessary party to the suit. Justice Dashen ruled that excluding the PMP from the proceedings rendered the previous judgment constitutionally defective and therefore invalid.
According to the judge, the failure to hear all affected parties violated the principles of fair hearing, making the earlier decision null and void.
The court further ordered that the status of the case be restored to what it was before the December 10, 2025 judgment, pending the hearing of the substantive suit. Justice Dashen also noted that some material facts had not been disclosed during the earlier proceedings, which contributed to the decision to vacate the judgment.
As a result, the court directed that the case should begin afresh, with INEC, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) all participating in the proceedings.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the applicant, Chikezie Ekeocha, said the PMP approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was allegedly based on a logo previously submitted to INEC by the PMP before the legal action commenced.
Ekeocha stated that the court recognized that the applicant’s interests had been affected and therefore set aside the earlier judgment.
He explained that the ruling effectively reverses every action taken by INEC based on the now-vacated judgment.
According to him, the recognition of the NDC as a political party, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s official records, and any participation arising from that judgment, including placement on ballot papers, must be suspended until the court reaches a final decision on the substantive case.
He, however, clarified that the legal dispute has not been concluded, emphasizing that the court only set aside its earlier decision to allow all parties whose interests are affected to be heard before a fresh judgment is delivered.
Ekeocha also dismissed claims that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling specifically restored the situation to what it was before the December 10, 2025 judgment.
The latest decision means the dispute over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has returned to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing, where all relevant parties will participate before a final determination is made.
