A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as a political party.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the earlier judgment was defective because all parties with an interest in the matter were not heard before the decision was reached.
The court upheld an application filed by the Peace Movement Party, PMP, describing it as a necessary party to the suit and ruling that its exclusion rendered the previous proceedings null and void.
Justice Dashen ordered that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 10, 2025 judgment, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The judge also held that material facts were suppressed during the earlier proceedings, warranting the decision to vacate the judgment.
He subsequently directed that the case should begin afresh, with INEC, the PMP and the NDC joined as parties.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the applicant, Chikezie Ekeocha, said the PMP approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was based on a logo it had earlier submitted to INEC before the suit commenced.
He said the court agreed that the party’s rights had been affected and consequently set aside the earlier judgment.
According to him, the ruling reverses every action taken by INEC in compliance with the vacated judgment, including the recognition of the NDC, issuance of its certificate of registration, inclusion in INEC’s records and any appearance on ballot papers, pending the final determination of the case.
Ekeocha, however, clarified that the substantive suit remains before the court and has not been decided, stressing that the matter will now be heard afresh with all relevant parties participating.
