The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The latest ruling effectively reverses the legal basis upon which the NDC had been listed by INEC, throwing the party’s status into uncertainty and preventing it from operating as a recognised political party for now.
Earlier this year, the NDC secured a court judgment directing INEC to register it, a development that sparked controversy among other political associations. The party’s inclusion on the electoral commission’s list was based solely on that court order.
However, the registration was challenged by rival political groups, particularly the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), which argued that the NDC failed to comply with statutory requirements for political party registration. The challengers alleged that the party did not properly complete the application process through INEC’s designated portal and failed to submit essential documents, including its manifesto and other required materials.
Following the fresh legal challenge, the Federal High Court in Lokoja revisited the matter and vacated its previous judgment, agreeing that the earlier order compelling INEC to register the NDC should no longer stand.
The court’s decision means that the NDC is currently not an officially registered political party. As a result, the party cannot sponsor or field candidates in any election until it obtains formal recognition from INEC.
The judgment also effectively returns the party to the starting point of the registration process. To regain recognition, the NDC will either have to meet all of INEC’s registration requirements and apply afresh or challenge the latest judgment at the Court of Appeal.
For INEC, the ruling means the electoral commission is no longer under any legal obligation to register the NDC. The court agreed with the commission’s position that there were legal issues surrounding the earlier order that compelled the registration, which may have involved procedural errors, timing, or failure to satisfy statutory conditions.
In practical terms, the court’s decision keeps the NDC off the list of officially recognised political parties unless it successfully overturns the ruling on appeal or completes the registration process in accordance with INEC’s guidelines.
The latest judgment marks a significant twist in the legal battle over the party’s registration and could have implications for its political ambitions ahead of future elections.
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