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LOKOJA, NIGERIA – A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has set aside its earlier judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, ordering that the matter be heard afresh with all affected parties participating in the proceedings.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the previous judgment was fundamentally flawed because it was delivered without giving all interested parties an opportunity to be heard, contrary to the principles of fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution.
The court upheld an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), agreeing that the party was a necessary party whose interests were directly affected by the litigation.
Justice Dashen ruled that the exclusion of the PMP from the earlier proceedings rendered the December 10, 2025 judgment constitutionally defective and legally unsustainable. He further observed that material facts had been withheld during the original proceedings, providing additional grounds for vacating the judgment.
Accordingly, the court ordered that the status quo be restored to what existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The judge also directed that the case should commence afresh, with INEC, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Peace Movement Party (PMP) joined as parties to ensure that all issues in dispute are comprehensively determined.
Speaking with journalists after the ruling, counsel to the applicant, Chikezie Ekeocha, explained that the Peace Movement Party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was allegedly based on a logo that the PMP had earlier submitted to INEC before the commencement of the litigation.
According to Ekeocha, the court agreed that the applicant’s legal rights had been adversely affected and therefore nullified the earlier judgment.
“The court has ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of December 10, 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined,” he said.
The lawyer noted that the implication of Friday’s ruling is that every action taken by INEC in compliance with the now-vacated judgment stands reversed.
“The recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgment must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” Ekeocha stated.
He, however, clarified that the court had not ruled on the substantive dispute over the registration of the political party.
“The matter has not been concluded. The court merely set aside its previous judgment and directed that the party whose interests were affected be joined so that all sides can be heard before a fresh decision is reached,” he explained.
Ekeocha also dismissed suggestions that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling specifically restored the legal position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment.
The latest decision effectively reopens the legal battle over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with a fresh hearing expected to determine the rights of all parties after they have been given the opportunity to present their cases before the Federal High Court.
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