Court Ruling Pushes INEC to Remove NDC From Political Parties Register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to delist the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after a Federal High Court ruling overturned the judgment that previously ordered the party’s registration.

INEC confirmed on Friday that it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the court ruling before taking official action.

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna said the commission would comply with the court’s decision once the judgment is received.

“We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Until we receive it, we cannot be in a position to comment on it,” he said.

Haruna noted that before the December 10, 2025 judgment, INEC had rejected the NDC’s application for registration as a political party.

The development follows Friday’s ruling by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, who set aside the earlier judgment compelling INEC to register the NDC.

The court held that the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP) were affected because the party was not included in the original suit, despite claiming ownership of the logo linked to the NDC’s registration process.

Counsel to the PMP, C. S. Ekeocha, explained that the ruling nullified all actions taken based on the earlier court order.

“The recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgment must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” he stated.

According to Ekeocha, the court ordered all parties to revert to the position they occupied before the December 2025 ruling and directed that all relevant parties be joined in the ongoing case.

He also clarified that the substantive suit is still pending before the Federal High Court.

The latest ruling means INEC is expected to restore the situation that existed before the NDC’s court-backed registration pending a fresh hearing and final judgment in the matter.

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