INEC Awaits Certified Court Judgment Before Deciding Fate of NDC Registration
By Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will not take any official position regarding the recent Federal High Court ruling affecting the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) until it receives and studies the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.
The electoral umpire made its position known in a statement issued on Saturday by its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, following widespread media reports that the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja had set aside its earlier judgment which compelled INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
According to the Commission, although it is aware of the court’s decision through media reports, it considers it inappropriate to make any official pronouncement without first examining the complete contents of the judgment.
INEC explained that once the Certified True Copy is received, its Legal Department will undertake a comprehensive review of the ruling before advising the Commission on the appropriate legal and administrative steps to take.
The Commission appealed to members of the public to remain patient while the judicial document is being obtained and examined, stressing that any decision it takes will be guided strictly by the law and the directives contained in the court’s judgment.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja. However, the Commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Once received, our Legal Department will study it thoroughly and advise the Commission accordingly,” the statement noted.
The legal controversy began after Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja reportedly set aside the court’s earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which had directed INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party.
According to reports, the court held that the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP) were affected because the association claimed ownership of the political logo relied upon during the earlier registration proceedings but was not joined as a party to the original suit.
Based on that finding, the court reportedly ordered that all parties be restored to the positions they occupied before the December 2025 judgment and further directed that the substantive matter be heard afresh with all necessary parties properly joined.
Despite the development, the Nigeria Democratic Congress has rejected the ruling, insisting that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter in which it had already delivered a final judgment.
The party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, maintained that no order was made directing the deregistration of the NDC and announced that the party has already instructed its legal team to challenge the ruling before the Court of Appeal.
The NDC also reassured its members, supporters and candidates that all nominations conducted by the party remain valid pending the outcome of the appellate proceedings.
The ruling has generated considerable political attention, attracting reactions from notable opposition figures, including the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, both of whom reportedly described the judgment as a challenge to Nigeria’s multi-party democratic system while expressing confidence that the appellate courts would resolve the dispute.
For now, however, INEC has adopted a cautious and institutionally restrained approach, emphasizing that it will only act after obtaining and carefully reviewing the Certified True Copy of the court’s decision.
Editorial Insight
INEC’s decision to await the Certified True Copy before commenting reflects an important institutional principle. Court judgments are authoritative only in their official form, and public institutions are generally expected to act on the formal text of a judgment rather than media summaries or unofficial accounts.
The legal dispute surrounding the NDC has now entered a critical phase. On one side are questions relating to judicial finality, jurisdiction and the doctrine of functus officio. On the other are concerns about whether all parties whose rights may have been affected by the original proceedings were properly joined before judgment was entered.
Ultimately, these are questions that the appellate courts are best placed to resolve. Until then, the legal status of the NDC and the implications of the Lokoja judgment are likely to remain subjects of public and political debate.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, the outcome of this appeal may become an important judicial precedent on political party registration, electoral administration and the scope of judicial review in constitutional litigation.
Source: Informant Online / Official statement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Author: Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
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