Isaac Samuel
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has insisted that it remains a registered political party despite a ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, saying there was no order directing its deregistration.
The party in a statement, signed by Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, said it was dissatisfied with the ruling delivered by Justice Isah Dashen on an application filed by an association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP), and had instructed its lawyers to immediately challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
According to the NDC, the court’s earlier judgment in December 2025 had compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it as a political party after finding that the electoral body violated its constitutional right to freedom of association by refusing its registration.
The party said that since securing registration, it had conducted membership registration, held ward, state and national congresses, organised conventions, concluded primary elections for all elective offices in line with INEC’s timetable, and participated in the recent by-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states.
It added that it had already nominated candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential and vice-presidential elections and was preparing to submit their names to INEC.
The NDC described the Peace Movement Party as an unregistered association unknown to it, arguing that the group merely filed a motion claiming it had sought registration with the same “victory sign” symbol in 2015 but was denied.
The party maintained that the Federal High Court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in December 2025 and therefore lacked jurisdiction to revisit the matter.
It further argued that issues relating to the use of the party’s symbol and colours had already been resolved in the earlier judgment, stressing that no appeal had been filed against that decision.
“Accordingly, we have been informed that His Lordship made an order setting aside the court’s earlier decision of December 2025. There was no order directing our deregistration,” the statement said.
The party assured its members and candidates that its legal status remained intact pending the outcome of its appeal.
“We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible,” it said.
The party also accused unnamed individuals of attempting to narrow Nigeria’s democratic space by frustrating opposition platforms, insisting that Nigerians deserve a wide range of political alternatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party added: “We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have a right to a full range of opinions, ideas, and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates should be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which has already gone midway.
“It is too late for anyone to attempt to use the judiciary to derail or narrow Nigeria’s multi-party democratic space. If the said association (Peace Movement Party) were a party affected by the judgment on our initial suit, the only option open to it was to appeal the verdict, an option which it did not take. Even at that, the window open for such appeal has since closed and any such appeal by now has become statute-barred.
“To now try to upturn that verdict through the back door, via a motion, is not only unheard-of, but also illegal and an outright abuse of court process.
“We thank Nigerians for their support, and we thank all our candidates, members and supporters for their confidence and trust in the party. We assure them that all nominations made remain valid, that our platform is strong and legal, and that justice will be served”.
