Court has cancelled Peter Obi’s Party, NDC registration with INEC.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has nullified the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the political party associated with Peter Obi, after setting aside its earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.
Justice Isah Dashen, who delivered the ruling on Friday in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, held that the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment was constitutionally flawed because it was delivered without hearing all parties with a legal interest in the matter.
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The judge ruled that the Peace Movement Party (PMP) is a necessary party in the case and should have been included before any substantive decision was reached.
According to Justice Dashen, the failure to hear all interested parties rendered the earlier judgment null and void, prompting the court to restore the status quo that existed before the December 2025 ruling.
The court also observed that material facts were allegedly withheld during the earlier proceedings, further justifying its decision to vacate the judgment.
Consequently, the judge ordered that the substantive suit begin afresh, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peace Movement Party, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) joined as parties to the case.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the applicant, C. S. Ekeocha, said the Peace Movement Party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was allegedly based on a logo the PMP had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.
Ekeocha said the court agreed that the applicant’s rights may have been affected and therefore vacated 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.
He explained that the implication of the ruling is that every action taken by INEC pursuant to the now-vacated judgment must be reversed.
According to him, the recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s official records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from the earlier judgment are to be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit.
Ekeocha, however, stressed that the substantive case remains before the court and has not been determined.
“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 said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the court merely ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling specifically restored the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment.
The latest decision effectively reopens the legal dispute over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with all relevant parties expected to participate in a fresh hearing before the court reaches a new determination.
