Appeal Court Upholds NDC Registration, Overturns Lokoja Judgment

The Court of Appeal on Friday upheld the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, overturning the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja that had set aside its registration.

The appellate court’s decision reverses the June 26 judgment delivered by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, which had restored the status quo before the court’s earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC.

Justice Dashen had ruled in favour of an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it had a legal interest in the matter but was not joined in the earlier proceedings.

The Federal High Court subsequently set aside its December 10, 2025 judgment directing INEC to recognise and register the NDC.

The ruling triggered a legal challenge by the NDC, which approached the Court of Appeal in Lokoja and sought to overturn the decision.

The party had maintained that the Federal High Court lacked the power to reverse its earlier final judgment through the application brought by the PMP.

The NDC also argued that its registration remained valid and that the Lokoja judgment did not amount to a formal deregistration by INEC. Its national leader, Seriake Dickson, later confirmed that the party had filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution.

The appellate court has now upheld the NDC’s registration and overruled the decision of Justice Dashen, clearing the immediate legal uncertainty surrounding the party’s recognition.

The dispute had centred partly on the use of the party’s two-finger victory symbol. The PMP had claimed an interest in the symbol and argued that its rights were affected by the earlier judgment that led to the NDC’s registration.

Justice Dashen had held that the PMP ought to have been joined in the original proceedings and ordered that the matter return to its pre-December 2025 position pending determination of the substantive case.

The NDC had rejected that ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the appellate court, insisting that its registration remained legally valid.

The latest ruling places the appellate court’s decision at the centre of the continuing legal dispute over the NDC’s status ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The development also follows earlier reports that INEC granted the NDC access to its candidate-upload portal after the party filed its appeal, with its leaders saying the nomination process would continue.

The Court of Appeal’s decision now represents a fresh development in the legal battle over the party’s registration and participation in the electoral process.