The NDC headed to the Court of Appeal, insisting Lokoja’s decision did not cancel the party’s registration

The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the Federal High Court ruling that set aside the decision forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it as a political party, and stated that it will soon challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.

The party stated that Friday’s decision did not amount to deregistration and assured its members, candidates and supporters that its political activities would continue without interruption.

Reacting to the decision, NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, said the party had instructed its legal team to challenge the decision, arguing that the courts do not have jurisdiction to review their own final decision.

In a statement posted on the party’s official Facebook page shortly after Justice Isah Dashen delivered the ruling, Cleopas expressed his shock at the court’s decision, stating that the applicant, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), was not a registered political party or part of the ongoing registration process at INEC.

He further argued that after giving a final decision, the court had become *functus officio* and could not legally overturn the decision through a motion.

“There is no order directing the revocation of our registration. However, we are not satisfied with the decision that has been taken, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Majesty’s order,” he said.

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The NDC chairman also sought to reassure his party members that the court decision has no direct impact on his candidates or ongoing political activities.

“We assure the general public, and especially our candidates at all levels, that our party is on the right track. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We are confident that justice will be served,” he added.

Cleopas accused unnamed political interests of using the justice system to weaken opposition parties and narrow the democratic space in Nigeria.

“We condemn the efforts of those who seek to narrow the democratic space and silence opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have the right to a variety of opinions, ideas and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates must be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which is already halfway through,” he said.

He also explained that the application that resulted in Friday’s ruling was procedurally flawed, and emphasized that any party dissatisfied with the initial ruling should appeal rather than ask the court to overturn its own decision.

According to Cleopas, the request was “illegal and an abuse of the court process.”

At the time this report was filed, the NDC leadership was holding an emergency press conference at its national secretariat in Abuja to brief party members and the public on its next course of action.

This development follows Justice Dashen’s ruling on Friday, which overturned an earlier court decision ordering INEC to register the NDC as a political party.

The judge was of the opinion that the decision dated 10 December 2025 had an impact on the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon in securing the previous ruling but did not join as a party to the trial.

Following the judgment, the applicant’s attorney, CS Ekeocha, said the court restored all parties to the legal position they occupied prior to the December 10, 2025 judgment and ordered that all necessary parties be joined before the substantive suit is heard again.

According to him, the ruling effectively annulled all actions taken by INEC based on the previous ruling, including the recognition of the NDC and the issuance of its registration certificate, pending a final decision on the case.