NDC Rejects Court Ruling, Heads to Appeal, Says “We Remain a Registered Political Party”

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja and says it will immediately appeal the decision.

The party said the ruling does not mean it has been deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the NDC said the court did not order INEC to remove the party from its list of registered political parties.

“The NDC has not been deregistered. There was no court order directing INEC to remove our name from its register. We have instructed our lawyers to file an appeal, and we believe justice will prevail,” the statement said.

The court had earlier, in December 2025, ordered INEC to register the NDC after the party challenged the commission’s refusal to do so. However, Justice Isah Dashen later set aside that judgment in a fresh ruling delivered on Friday.

The NDC argued that it has been operating as a political party since the earlier judgment. According to the party, it has conducted membership registration, congresses, conventions, and primary elections in line with INEC guidelines.

The party also said it took part in recent by-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu States and has already nominated candidates for different elective positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The NDC questioned why the same court reopened a matter it had already decided. It insisted that anyone unhappy with the original judgment should have filed an appeal instead of asking the same court to reverse its own decision.

The party further accused some unnamed individuals of trying to use the courts to reduce political competition ahead of the 2027 elections.

It assured members and supporters across the country that its party structures remain active and that all political activities carried out so far are still valid.

The legal battle over the NDC’s registration is now expected to continue at the Court of Appeal, which will make the next major decision in the case.