A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has overturned its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
Justice Isah Dashen, in a ruling delivered on Friday, declared that the previous judgment was invalid because all parties whose interests were affected were not given the opportunity to be heard.
The court held that the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which challenged the earlier decision, was a necessary party to the case and should have been included before the judgment was delivered.
According to the judge, the failure to join PMP amounted to a constitutional defect that affected the validity of the December 10, 2025 judgment.
Justice Dashen consequently ordered that the matter return to the position it was in before the earlier ruling, pending a fresh determination of the suit.
The court also ruled that some important facts were not presented during the initial proceedings, which contributed to the decision to set aside the judgment.
INEC, the Peace Movement Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress were ordered to be joined as parties in the fresh hearing of the case.
Counsel to the applicant, Chikezie Ekeocha, said PMP approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was linked to a logo the party had earlier submitted to INEC.
He said the court agreed that the rights of PMP had been affected by the earlier proceedings and that all relevant parties must be heard.
Ekeocha explained that the implication of the ruling is that actions taken by INEC based on the cancelled judgment must be reversed.
He stated that the NDC’s recognition, registration certificate, inclusion in INEC records and any related ballot arrangements arising from the earlier judgment should be suspended pending the outcome of the fresh case.
However, he clarified that the dispute over the NDC’s registration has not been finally decided, as the court only ordered a fresh hearing.
The lawyer added that the court’s decision was aimed at ensuring all parties involved have the opportunity to present their arguments before a final judgment is reached.
The case now returns to the Federal High Court, where INEC, PMP and NDC will present their positions before the court determines the next step on the party’s registration.
