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….As Majority Decision Restores Party’s Recognition ahead of 2027 Elections
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Court of Appeal has upheld the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, overturning the June 26, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, which had set aside the earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.
The appellate court’s decision, delivered on Friday, September 18, 2026, reverses the ruling of Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, and restores the legal position arising from the earlier judgment that directed INEC to recognise and register the NDC.
The development represents a significant turn in the legal battle over the party’s registration and comes as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Reports of the appellate decision indicate that the Court of Appeal reached its conclusion by a majority of the panel, while one of the justices dissented. The majority decision effectively nullifies the June ruling that had returned the matter to the position it occupied before the December 2025 judgment.
The dispute had its origins in the NDC’s legal challenge to INEC’s refusal to register the organisation as a political party.
On December 10, 2025, the Federal High Court in Lokoja, presided over by Justice Dashen, ordered INEC to register the NDC as a political party. The electoral commission subsequently registered the party in compliance with the court order. INEC later stated that the NDC’s registration was effected pursuant to the court judgment.
The registration, however, became the subject of further litigation after the Peace Movement Party (PMP) approached the Lokoja court, contending that its interests had been affected by the earlier proceedings.
At the centre of the PMP’s complaint was the party symbol associated with the NDC. The PMP argued that it had an interest in the symbol and should have been included in the earlier proceedings before the court made an order directing INEC to register the NDC.
Justice Dashen subsequently accepted the application and, on June 26, 2026, set aside his earlier judgment.
The court’s decision effectively restored the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment, pending further proceedings involving the parties. Reports of the ruling indicated that the court considered the PMP’s claim that it had not been joined in proceedings which affected its asserted legal interest.
The NDC immediately rejected the judgment and announced that it would challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
The party’s position was that the Federal High Court, having already delivered a final judgment, could not subsequently reopen the matter in the manner it did. The NDC maintained that its registration had been effected pursuant to a valid court order and insisted that the June ruling did not amount to a formal deregistration by INEC.
The party subsequently filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution of the Lokoja decision. Premium Times reported in July that the NDC had served its appeal processes on INEC and that the party had also been given access to the commission’s candidate-upload portal.
That appeal has now produced the latest development.
APPEAL COURT REVERSES LOWER COURT
In its latest judgment, the Court of Appeal overturned the June 26 decision of Justice Dashen and upheld the NDC’s registration.
The majority decision effectively restores the legal foundation on which the NDC’s registration had been recognised after the December 2025 judgment.
The appellate court’s intervention also resolves, at least at the present stage, the immediate uncertainty created by the Lokoja ruling over the party’s recognition and its continuing participation in the electoral process.
According to the report on Friday’s judgment, the appellate court rejected the approach adopted by the Federal High Court in setting aside its earlier final judgment following the application brought by the PMP.
The decision is particularly significant because the NDC had argued throughout the appeal that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to effectively revisit a final judgment in the circumstances of the case.
The party’s lawyers had maintained that the appropriate avenue for challenging the December 2025 judgment was through an appeal rather than an application asking the same court to reopen the matter.
DISSENTING VIEW
The appellate decision was not unanimous.
One member of the panel, Justice Okon Abang, reportedly dissented from the majority decision.
The dissent underscores the continuing legal disagreement surrounding the circumstances in which the Federal High Court revisited its earlier judgment and the competing claims arising from the NDC’s registration.
The operative decision, however, is that of the majority of the appellate panel, which has now overturned the Lokoja judgment and upheld the NDC’s registration.
SYMBOL DISPUTE
The controversy surrounding the NDC’s registration has been closely connected to the issue of the party’s symbol.
The Peace Movement Party had contended that it had an interest in the symbol used by the NDC and that its absence from the original proceedings deprived it of an opportunity to present its case.
That argument formed an important part of the application that resulted in the June 26 judgment setting aside the earlier order for NDC registration.
The Court of Appeal’s latest intervention has now overturned that decision, thereby changing the immediate legal position established by the Lokoja court.
The underlying dispute demonstrates the complex legal issues that can arise where political-party registration, electoral symbols and court orders intersect, particularly in the period leading to a general election.
NDC’S ELECTORAL PREPARATIONS
The judgment also comes at a critical point in the NDC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Following the December 2025 judgment and its subsequent registration, the party had proceeded with its political activities and preparations for the elections.
The June 2026 Lokoja ruling introduced uncertainty into those preparations, prompting the NDC to approach the appellate court.
The party’s National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, had confirmed after the June ruling that the NDC had filed an appeal and was seeking appropriate relief from the Court of Appeal. The party also reported that it had obtained access to the INEC portal for the uploading of candidates.
With the Court of Appeal now overturning the Lokoja judgment, the latest ruling provides a new judicial basis for the NDC’s continuing engagement with the electoral process.
The immediate implications for the party’s candidates, structures and further dealings with INEC will depend on the formal orders contained in the certified judgment and any subsequent proceedings arising from the case.
LEGAL BATTLE NOT WITHOUT HISTORY
The controversy has generated considerable legal and political debate since the Federal High Court first ordered the NDC’s registration in December 2025.
The original case followed a dispute between the organisation and INEC over its application for registration.
The December judgment compelled the electoral commission to register the party. INEC subsequently complied with the order, and the NDC became one of the political parties recognised for participation in the country’s electoral process.
The subsequent application by the PMP reopened the dispute and resulted in Justice Dashen’s June 26 ruling.
The NDC challenged that decision, arguing, among other things, that the trial court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment.
The principle of functus officio generally concerns the authority of a court after it has finally determined a matter, although the precise circumstances in which a court may revisit or set aside its own decision can depend on the applicable law and judicial precedents.
The latest Court of Appeal ruling therefore represents not merely a reversal of the immediate Lokoja decision but another significant judicial development in the broader dispute over the NDC’s registration.
IMPLICATIONS FOR 2027
The ruling is expected to have consequences for the NDC’s continuing preparations for the 2027 elections.
Political parties are required to satisfy legal and electoral requirements before participating in elections, while INEC is responsible for administering and regulating the electoral process within the framework of the Constitution and applicable electoral laws.
For the NDC, the appellate judgment removes the immediate legal setback created by the June 26 decision.
It also provides the party with a favourable appellate determination as it continues preparations for the elections.
The decision, however, should be understood within the context of the continuing litigation history surrounding the party’s registration. Other legal questions may still arise depending on the parties’ next steps and any further proceedings before higher courts.
For now, the Court of Appeal has overturned the Federal High Court’s June 26 judgment and upheld the NDC’s registration.
The development brings a fresh chapter to a legal contest that has moved from the Federal High Court in Lokoja to the appellate level and placed the question of the NDC’s recognition squarely within the judicial process.
As the 2027 electoral cycle progresses, attention will now shift to the practical implementation of the appellate decision, the response of INEC and the next legal steps, if any, by the parties involved.
The Street Reporters Newspaper will continue to monitor developments in the case and report subsequent judicial or electoral actions arising from the ruling.
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