Legal Ambush? NDC Vows to Fight Back as Lokoja Court Reverses INEC Registration Order
A sudden judicial twist has sent shockwaves through the political landscape. In a surprising turn of events on Friday, the Federal High Court in Lokoja abruptly overturned its previous directive that originally mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The Phantom Plaintiff: Who is the Peace Movement Party?
The court’s reversal was triggered by a motion filed by a little-known entity called the Peace Movement Party (PMP). The PMP argued that they were unfairly excluded from the initial lawsuit that led to the NDC’s December 2025 judicial victory, demanding that the judgment be entirely scrapped so they could be heard.
Justice Isah Dashen agreed with the PMP. The judge ruled that the failure to include all relevant stakeholders rendered the prior proceedings legally void. Consequently, he ordered a return to the pre-December 2025 status quo until the core issues of the case are fully resolved.
NDC Leadership Fires Back
The NDC is not taking this legal roadblock lying down. National Chairman Moses Zuwoghe released a blistering statement on Friday, expressing absolute shock at the court’s decision and questioning the legitimacy of the PMP’s intervention.
Zuwoghe pointed out that the NDC has already fully integrated into the Nigerian democratic system since the initial ruling, noting that INEC has fully recognized their platform.
“Since then, we have started political activities, embarked on the registration of members, held congresses from ward to national levels, held conventions, and concluded primaries to all offices following INEC’s timetable.”
He highlighted that the party recently fielded candidates without any interference in the Nasarawa and Enugu state bye-elections.
Dismissing the PMP as an unrecognized spoiler, Zuwoghe noted that the group is not a registered political entity, nor were they actively seeking registration in the current electoral cycle. He argued that the court had already permanently settled all matters regarding party symbols and colors in the final judgment against INEC, making the current reversal highly irregular.
“Therefore, we are surprised that, on an application by an association claiming that it wanted to register as a political party with the victory sign in 2015; an association that is not a registered political party and is not seeking registration now to participate in the current political process, His Lordship came to the conclusion that they have locus standi, and furthermore, that he has jurisdiction to do what he did.”
Next Stop: The Court of Appeal
Fears are growing among political observers that this could be a calculated move to suppress opposition movements ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 general elections—a tactic reminiscent of recent controversial attempts to deregister other opposition parties in Abuja.
However, Zuwoghe made it clear that the NDC’s legal team is already mobilizing to appeal the ruling immediately. He emphatically stated that the NDC remains a legally recognized entity and has not been deregistered.
“We are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order.”
Assuring supporters and candidates that the party structure remains unbreakable, Zuwoghe issued a stern warning to anyone attempting to manipulate the judiciary to shrink Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
“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 the court process.”
The message from the NDC is unyielding: the movement is on course, nominations remain fully valid, and they are confident the appellate court will swiftly restore their mandate.