INEC awaits court judgment copy on NDC registration

Nigeria's electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is awaiting official documentation before commenting on a recent court ruling that impacts the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Federal High Court in Lokoja on Friday set aside its December 10, 2025, order that had directed INEC to register the NDC. The court found that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which was not a party to the original suit despite claiming ownership of the logo used in obtaining the order.

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Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.

INEC's Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, confirmed awareness of the media reports but emphasized the commission's inability to comment on specifics until it obtains and reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment. "Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives," Oketola stated.

The NDC, however, has rejected the ruling and announced its intention to appeal at the Court of Appeal. The party's National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, asserted that the NDC has not been deregistered and argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a finalized matter. The development has drawn criticism from opposition figures, including NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, who described the ruling as a threat to Nigeria's multiparty democracy.

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the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered a final judgment.