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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

INEC Faces Lawsuit Seeking Deregistration of Nigeria Democratic Congress

From ThisDay · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A suit has been filed seeking the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
  • The plaintiff alleges the NDC failed to meet constitutional and electoral act requirements for party registration.
  • The NDC's founder claims no pending litigation challenges the party's registration, asserting its legal recognition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A lawsuit has been filed against the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), seeking its deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The suit was initiated by Ahidjo Karlahi, the protem Director of Organisation for the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).

The NDC was not listed among the prequalified associations for formal application in the 2025 political parties’ registration exercise.

— Ahidjo KarlahiAllegations regarding the NDC's failure to follow proper registration procedures.

Filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the case alleges that the NDC has not fulfilled the mandatory constitutional and statutory conditions outlined in Nigeria's constitution and the Electoral Act of 2022. According to the originating summons, the NDC was not among the prequalified associations for the 2025 political parties' registration exercise. Karlahi argues that the NDC bypassed essential registration steps, including failing to pay the administrative fee and obtain access codes for INEC's application portal, and did not submit the mandatory Form EC15A.

Despite these allegations, the national leader and founder of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, has stated that there is no pending litigation or appeal challenging the party's registration. Speaking at the party's maiden national convention in Abuja, Dickson asserted that the NDC is legally recognized and united as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The NDC did not access INEC’s dedicated Political Party Registration Portal during the 2025 registration exercise which is the only way to fill the Form EC15A.

— Ahidjo KarlahiFurther details on the alleged procedural irregularities in the NDC's registration.

The ADA chieftain is urging the court to declare the NDC's registration invalid, illegal, and void. The suit contends that an entity failing to meet constitutional registration conditions should not remain a valid political party in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the Benue State Working Committee of the NDC has ratified the suspension of a member, Mr. William Adoyi Enenche.

My suit respectfully prays the court to in essence: declare that the Constitution does not permit an entity that never satisfied constitutional conditions for registration to be re

— Ahidjo KarlahiThe core prayer of the lawsuit seeking to invalidate the NDC's registration.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ThisDay in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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