Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Today, the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, ruling that the December 10, 2025 decision was constitutionally defective because it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties. Justice Isah Dashen, the presiding judge, upheld an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that the NDC's registration was based on a logo the PMP had previously submitted to INEC before the suit was filed.
Justice Dashen held that the earlier judgment adversely affected the rights of the PMP, which was not joined as a party in the original proceedings despite its claim of ownership of the disputed logo. The judge declared that the failure to hear all interested parties amounted to a breach of the constitutional principle of fair hearing, rendering the entire process null and void. He also observed that certain material facts were suppressed in the earlier proceedings, further justifying the decision to set aside the judgment.
Consequently, the court ordered that the substantive suit should begin afresh, with INEC, the PMP, and the NDC joined as parties to the case. Justice Dashen further ruled that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 2025 judgment, pending the determination of the substantive suit. The implication of the ruling is that every action taken by INEC in compliance with the now-vacated judgment stands reversed, including the recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC's records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgment. However, the substantive case remains before the court and has not been decided on its merits; 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.
The dispute over the NDC's logo adds a new layer of complexity to the case. The NDC had earlier in the year registered the logo "NDC" with the Federal Government, but confusion lingered over the official version of the party's emblem, with INEC displaying a different logo from what the party used in public. The PMP's claim of prior submission of a similar logo to INEC now forms the central basis of the legal challenge. The ruling effectively returns the dispute over the registration of the NDC to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing, with all relevant parties expected to participate before a new determination is made. The court did not rule that the NDC cannot be registered as a political party; rather, it held that the previous judgment could not stand because all necessary parties were not before the court.
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