LOKOJA, Nigeria — A federal high court in central Nigeria has overturned its own previous ruling that directed the country’s electoral umpire to register a new political party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice Isah Dashen, sitting in Lokoja, ruled on Friday that the court’s December 2025 judgement ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was “constitutionally defective”.
The judge held that key material facts had been suppressed during the initial hearings and that the previous decision was reached without hearing from all interested parties, rendering the entire process null and void.
The ruling comes amid a wave of high-stakes legal battles over party registrations and deregistrations as Nigerian political factions position themselves and intensify campaigns for the next election cycle.
Logo dispute triggers reversal
The court reversed its position following an application by a rival political association, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued it was a necessary party to the suit.
Chikezie Ekeocha, the lawyer representing the PMP, told journalists that the group approached the court after discovering that the NDC was attempting to register using a logo that the PMP had already submitted to INEC.
The court agreed that the PMP’s interests were directly affected and ordered that the legal process start entirely afresh, with INEC, the PMP, and the NDC all joined as parties to the case.
Registration certificate withdrawn
The implication of Friday’s ruling is a complete reversal of the NDC’s political status.
“The recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgement must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” Mr. Ekeocha explained.
The judge ordered that all parties return to the status quo that existed before 10 December 2025, clarifying that the substantive dispute over who owns the political identity has not yet been decided.
The development follows a separate, highly contentious ruling by a federal court in Abuja weeks ago, which ordered the deregistration of five established political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Accord Party.
The enforcement of that deregistration order was subsequently halted by Nigeria’s Court of Appeal on 16 June, underscoring the growing judicial volatility surrounding the country’s electoral framework.
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