Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja which had ordered the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, clearing the party to field candidates in the 2027 general elections and ending months of legal uncertainty that had threatened its participation in the polls.
The ruling, delivered on Friday, was confirmed by the party's National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, in a statement posted on his Facebook page and circulated to journalists. According to Dickson, the appellate court allowed the NDC's appeal and set aside the decision of the Lokoja court delivered by Justice Isah Dashen a few months earlier. He identified the presiding justice as Justice Mohammed Danjuma, with Justice Hassan reading the judgment. The judgment upholds the party's registration and restores its right to participate in all political activities as a registered political party.
The legal battle began on December 10, 2025, when a Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise and register the NDC as a political party. That decision was subsequently set aside on June 26, 2026, by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, presided over by Justice Dashen, following an application by the Peace Movement Party, which argued that its interests had been affected by the earlier proceedings and that it had not been joined in the suit. Justice Dashen upheld the PMP's application, ruling that all relevant parties must be heard before any substantive decision could be made, declaring the entire process null and void and restoring the status quo to what it was before the December 2025 judgment.
The NDC filed an appeal and an application for a stay of execution against the Lokoja ruling on June 29, 2026. Dickson said at the time that the party had served the court process on the INEC chairman and his team "to do what is right according to law and what is legally sensible." He also confirmed that following the appeal, INEC had granted the NDC access to upload its candidates to its portal, with his name and that of the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, uploaded, while that of the vice presidential candidate was to follow upon completion of the deposition.
In his statement on Friday, Dickson commended the Nigerian judiciary for what he described as upholding its integrity and expanding the sphere of multiparty democratic participation in Nigeria. "We want to use this opportunity once again to commend the Nigerian judiciary, and in particular, Hon. Justice Danjuma and Hon. Justice Hassan, for upholding the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and, by their decisions, expanding the sphere of multiparty democratic participation in Nigeria," he said. He described the earlier Lokoja judgment as an assault on the party's constitutional right to participate in politics and an attempt to narrow the democratic space. "When the unexpected judgment of the Lokoja Federal High Court was delivered, we were bombarded with several calls for sympathy, support and prayers. Today, our collective prayers have been answered," he said.
The NDC leader declared that the party's registration remained valid and subsisting and that the party and all its candidates would participate in the 2027 elections and beyond. "The NDC continues to exist. Our registration remains valid and subsisting, and we and all our candidates will participate in all elections in 2027 and beyond, by the grace of God," he stated. He urged party members to shift their attention to preparations for the 2027 elections, saying the party would focus on its campaign and its contest with the All Progressives Congress. "Everyone should now focus on the campaigns, prepare for the elections, and focus on the task ahead to face the APC and defeat them at the polls," he said. He also warned against attempts to influence the judiciary, saying the party remained confident in its political message, candidates and membership. "A resort to arm-twisting, inducing or intimidating the judiciary will not work," he said.
The ruling comes at a critical moment in Nigeria's political calendar. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections for February 6. The NDC has positioned itself as a major opposition platform, with Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate. The party unveiled a 59-member presidential campaign council on Friday, as it intensified preparations for the contest. The legal victory removes a significant obstacle to the party's participation and allows it to proceed with candidate nominations, campaign activities and the broader task of building a national political machine.
The case also underscores the recurring tension between Nigeria's judiciary and its electoral commission, particularly in disputes over party registration and candidate eligibility. The NDC's registration had been the subject of conflicting judgments from different divisions of the Federal High Court, a pattern that has become increasingly common in Nigeria's pre-election litigation and which critics say undermines confidence in the electoral process. The Court of Appeal's intervention has brought clarity to the NDC's status, but it may not be the final word if any party elects to proceed to the Supreme Court.
For the NDC, the ruling represents a significant political and legal victory. The party was established with the stated aim of expanding multiparty democracy in Nigeria, and its leaders have consistently argued that attempts to deregister it were politically motivated. Dickson said the party had been set up to broaden the democratic space, and he framed Friday's judgment as vindication of that mission. For the judiciary, the ruling is a reminder of its pivotal role in shaping the contours of Nigeria's electoral landscape, particularly in a season when courts have become the arena for resolving disputes that political actors cannot settle among themselves.
As the 2027 elections approach, the NDC will now focus on building its campaign infrastructure, finalising its candidate lists and presenting its platform to voters. The party faces formidable challenges, including the dominance of the ruling APC, the entrenched structures of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, and the logistical hurdles of running a national campaign in a country of more than 200 million people. But the Appeal Court's decision ensures that the NDC will at least be on the ballot, and for its leaders, that is the foundation on which everything else depends. "With this conviction, we look forward to the forthcoming elections and are confident that the NDC will emerge victorious at the polls, by the grace of God," Dickson said. "The fight for Nigeria's multiparty democracy continues and, by the grace of God, we will emerge victorious."
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