A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has set aside its earlier judgment which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
Presiding Judge, Justice Isah Dashen, ruled on Friday that the earlier decision was constitutionally flawed because all relevant parties were not given fair hearing before the judgment was delivered.
The court held that the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which later challenged the ruling, was a necessary party in the suit and ought to have been heard before any substantive decision was made.
Justice Dashen stated that the failure to include all interested parties rendered the December 10, 2025 judgment “null and void,” adding that certain material facts were also not disclosed during the initial proceedings.
As part of the ruling, the court ordered that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 2025 judgment, effectively reversing all actions taken by INEC based on the earlier order.
This includes the recognition of the NDC, issuance of its registration certificate, inclusion in official records, and any related preparations for electoral processes, all of which are to remain suspended pending the final determination of the case.
The judge further directed that the substantive suit be heard afresh, with INEC, the NDC, and the PMP properly joined as parties to the case.
Counsel to the PMP, Chikezie Ekeocha, explained that the party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was linked to a logo previously submitted to INEC before the dispute began.
He added that the court agreed the applicant’s rights were affected and therefore vacated the earlier judgment in order to ensure all sides are heard.
Ekeocha clarified that the substantive matter has not been concluded, stressing that the court only reset the case to allow a full and fair hearing of all parties involved.
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