Politics
NDC: INEC awaits CTC before deciding on registration
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would not take a position on the recent Federal High Court judgment that nullified an earlier order directing the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.
Speaking with PUNCH on Saturday, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said although the commission was aware of widespread reports about the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Lokoja on Friday, it could not comment on the substance of the decision without first examining the court’s certified order.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, which set aside an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. However, as of this moment, the commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court’s order,” Oketola said.
He explained that the commission’s legal department would review the judgment immediately after obtaining the certified copy before advising the commission on the appropriate legal and administrative steps.
“Once the commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.
“Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling, and the public is urged to await the commission’s formal position on the matter,” he added.
INEC’s response follows Friday’s ruling by Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which set aside the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment that had compelled the electoral commission to register the NDC as a political party.
Dashen held that the earlier judgment was reached without joining the Peace Movement Party, whose legal rights were allegedly affected by the proceedings. The party had claimed ownership of the logo relied upon by the NDC in securing the registration order.
The court consequently restored all parties to the positions they occupied before the December 2025 judgment and directed that the substantive suit be heard afresh with all necessary parties joined in the proceedings.
The ruling has sparked fresh legal and political controversy.
Rejecting the decision, the NDC announced plans to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal. The party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, insisted that the judgment did not amount to the deregistration of the party and argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to reopen a matter after delivering a final judgment.
The development has also drawn criticism from leading opposition figures, including the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, and other opposition stakeholders, who described the judgment as a setback for Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and vowed to pursue all available legal remedies.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.