Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has dismissed the recent Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja, Kogi State, insisting that the party remains legally registered and that the judgment does not amount to its deregistration. Speaking on Sunday, June 28, 2026, during an interview on Channels Television's Sunday Politics, Dickson rejected the legal basis of the ruling, describing it as a decision delivered by a court that "had become functus officio" and therefore lacked jurisdiction to revisit its earlier judgment.
The controversy stems from a ruling delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which set aside the court's earlier judgment of December 10, 2025 that had compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party. The court acted on an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it was not joined in the original proceedings despite having a legal interest in the matter, specifically claiming ownership of a logo similar to one the NDC had submitted to INEC. Justice Dashen held that parties with vested interests should have been joined and ordered that the case be heard afresh, effectively nullifying the earlier registration order.
Dickson maintained that the ruling did not deregister the NDC or invalidate the candidacies of those who emerged from the party's primaries. "The NDC has not been deregistered. The NDC has validly nominated candidates for all elective offices in primaries monitored nationwide by INEC," he said. "The court itself did not deregister it. And no step has been taken whatsoever to that effect." He assured party candidates and members that their nominations remain valid, explaining that the submission of candidates' names to INEC is merely an administrative procedure and does not affect the validity of nominations duly carried out during party primaries. The former Bayelsa State governor argued that the Lokoja judgment merely nullified the earlier order directing INEC to register the NDC and did not contain any mandatory order requiring the electoral commission to deregister the party. "This ruling did not do that. But there's a judgement that INEC had that compelled INEC to register. That judgement in the hands of INEC is now a nullity. That judgement means nothing," he said. He insisted that "courts don't function that way" and that orders of courts are to be construed strictly, adding that it was possible for the court to have made an order on deregistration if that was what it wanted.
Dickson questioned the legal reasoning behind the ruling, arguing that the court became functus officio after delivering its initial judgment and therefore lacked the authority to revisit the substantive issues except under exceptional circumstances. "Ordinarily, once a court delivers its judgment, it is said to have become functus officio, meaning that the court has performed its duty and exhausted its powers over that matter," he stated. He further argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the application and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would resolve the matter in the party's favour. The NDC leader also questioned the legal standing of the Peace Movement Party, contending that it is not a registered political party under Nigerian law and therefore lacked the legal capacity to institute the action. "The party that went to file an application… is not a registered political party at all. It is actually a non-entity. It is unknown to the laws of Nigeria," Dickson said. He alleged that the organisation had unsuccessfully sought registration in 2015 and had remained inactive ever since, describing the proceedings initiated by the group as "frivolous" and "embarrassing."
Dickson disclosed that the NDC would challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal and, if necessary, proceed to the Supreme Court. "As soon as possible, once the appeal is lodged and the necessary papers are filed, it's a matter that will go to the highest levels to set aside the irregular judgment," he said. He urged party members, candidates and stakeholders to remain calm, saying the appellate courts would overturn what he described as an anomaly. Despite the legal setback, Dickson expressed confidence that the controversy had generated increased public interest in the party. "Since Friday, thousands of Nigerians have been flocking to our website to register. They now know more about our party. They sympathise with our party and our candidates. And they are flocking and buying into the vision of our party and our candidates," he said. The NDC, which has adopted Peter Obi as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections with Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate, has been positioning itself as a formidable opposition platform. The party's leadership has insisted that it remains on course for the 2027 elections, with Dickson declaring that "NDC is on the ballot. All our candidates will be on the ballot. NDC has not been deregistered and will not be deregistered." As of Sunday, June 28, 2026, INEC had reportedly not received the Certified True Copy of the judgment, and the commission stated it would take a decision in line with the court's directives once it had reviewed the ruling. The NDC's appeal process is expected to commence in the coming days, with the party's leadership expressing confidence that the ruling would be overturned at the appellate court.
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