The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has overturned the Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja that set aside the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), restoring the party’s registration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The appellate court reached the decision in a split ruling, with a two-member majority setting aside the June 26, 2026 judgment of Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja.
The ruling followed an appeal filed by the NDC after the Lokoja court reversed its earlier December 10, 2025 judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.
The legal dispute arose after the Peace Movement Party (PMP) challenged the earlier proceedings, arguing that its interests in the symbol associated with the NDC had been affected without it being joined in the suit.
Justice Dashen subsequently set aside his earlier judgment and directed that the matter return to its pre-December 2025 position.
The NDC rejected the decision and proceeded to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the Federal High Court could not reopen and effectively review its own final judgment.
The appellate majority agreed with the NDC on the central jurisdictional issue, holding that the trial court could not sit as an appellate court over its own final judgment. Reports of the judgment also said the majority rejected the argument that PMP’s absence from the original proceedings justified the reversal.
The judgment, however, was not unanimous.
Justice Okon Abang dissented, holding that the original NDC action against INEC was filed outside the statutory period and that the trial court therefore lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.
According to reports of the judgment, Abang held that the NDC instituted the case 53 days after its cause of action arose, rather than within the 14-day period he considered applicable under the Electoral Act. He also questioned the choice of the Lokoja division for the action.
The majority decision nevertheless sets aside the June 26 Lokoja ruling, removing the immediate legal setback that had created uncertainty over the NDC’s registration.
The development comes days after another Federal High Court judgment in Abuja directed INEC to recognise the NDC’s modified logo for its political activities and participation in elections. Reports said the modified design was adopted at the party’s March 25, 2026 National Executive Committee meeting.
The two court developments have placed the NDC’s registration and electoral symbol at the centre of renewed legal activity as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections.
The NDC had maintained throughout the Lokoja dispute that the June judgment did not amount to a formal deregistration and that its candidates’ nomination processes remained valid. The party subsequently appealed the ruling and sought to preserve its participation in the electoral process.
NDC National Leader, Seriake Dickson, confirmed Friday’s appellate decision and said the party’s registration remained valid and subsisting. He also said the party and its candidates would proceed with preparations for the 2027 elections.
With the Court of Appeal setting aside the Lokoja decision, attention now shifts to the formal orders arising from the judgment, INEC’s implementation and any further legal steps available to the parties.
For the NDC, the ruling comes at a critical stage of preparations for the 2027 elections, with Peter Obi already nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.
The case also highlights the continuing legal disputes surrounding party registration, electoral symbols and the jurisdiction of courts as political parties prepare for the next general elections.
