🔥 Trending Nigeria Court Ruling: NDC Political Party Status Explained

The Federal High Court in Lokoja, Nigeria, recently set aside its earlier judgment that had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party ¹²⁴⁵⁸. This decision effectively nullifies all actions taken based on the previous ruling ².

Key Developments

• Judgment Set Aside: Justice Isah Dashen delivered the ruling on Friday, June 26, 2026, which overturned the court's December 10, 2025, judgment ⁵.
• Nullification of Previous Actions: The setting aside of the judgment means that any steps taken towards the registration of NDC as a political party based on the earlier court order are now invalid ².
• Fresh Hearing Ordered: Consequently, the court has ordered that the substantive suit should commence afresh. This new hearing will involve INEC, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ⁶.
• Context of the Original Ruling: The initial judgment had compelled INEC to register the NDC as a political party ⁸.
• Impact on Political Landscape: Some reports have linked this development to a potential setback for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate, though the specifics of this connection are not detailed in the provided sources ⁴.

Background

The case involves the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) seeking registration as a political party. An earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja had mandated INEC to proceed with this registration. However, this recent decision by the same court has reversed that order, requiring a new hearing on the matter ¹⁶.

It is important to note that while the Lokoja Federal High Court has set aside its own judgment, there was a Facebook post questioning the authority of a Federal High Court to vacate an order without an appeal to a higher court like the Appeal Court or Supreme Court ³. However, the official news reports confirm the court's action ¹²⁴⁵⁸.

Another related development from three days prior to the current reports indicates that the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, was also handling a case involving the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) seeking to strike down Sections 138 and 77(5) of the new Electoral Act, 2026. Justice Mohammed Umar had fixed a date for this hearing ⁷. It is not explicitly stated how these two cases are directly related, but they both involve the NDC and legal challenges concerning electoral processes.