The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected a Federal High Court ruling that overturned a previous judgement mandating the party’s registration, claiming that it is still a legal political platform and intends to appeal the decision.
In a statement issued by its National Chairman, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the party expressed astonishment at Friday’s verdict by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja on a motion brought by the unregistered Peace Movement Party.
According to the statement, the NDC went to court in December 2025 after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly refused to register it as a political party.
The party claimed that the court affirmed its constitutional right to freedom of association and then asked INEC to register it.
Since then, the NDC claims to have engaged in political activities including as membership registration, ward, state, and national congresses, conventions, and party primaries.
It further stated that it took part in the recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and has already nominated candidates for various elective offices ahead of the 2027 general election.
The NDC claimed that the Peace Movement Party is neither a registered political party nor an association seeking registration under the current political process.
The side also claimed that the Federal High Court had become functus officio after issuing its final judgement in the matter, and hence lacked the authority to revisit the case.
According to the statement, no order was issued directing the deregistration of the NDC. However, the party stated that it has asked its legal staff to promptly appeal the verdict.
Read the statement below;
“We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible,”
The party also accused anonymous actors of using the judiciary to limit Nigeria’s democratic space and silence opposition views ahead of the 2027 elections.
It claimed that if the Peace Movement Party was unsatisfied with the initial judgement, the proper legal remedy was to file an appeal within the time frame specified rather than trying to overturn the result through a motion.
The NDC expressed confidence that justice would prevail and informed its members and candidates that all nominations made by the party were still valid.