INEC to Review Court Ruling on NDC, Awaits Certified Judgment

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it is yet to obtain the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment delivered in Lokoja, which nullified an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking with DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS on Saturday, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, explained that although the commission is aware of media reports on the June 26 judgment, it cannot comment on the ruling until it receives and examines the certified court document.

According to him, INEC has taken note of reports indicating that the Federal High Court in Lokoja, on Friday, June 26, 2026, overturned its previous order relating to the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. However, he stressed that the commission has not yet been served with the Certified True Copy of the judgment.

Oketola said the commission's legal department would carefully study the certified judgment once it is received before deciding on the appropriate legal and administrative steps to take.

He added that INEC would make a decision strictly in line with the court's directives after reviewing the document, urging members of the public to await the commission's official position rather than speculate on the contents of the ruling.

INEC's response follows Friday's decision by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, who set aside the court's earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which had ordered the commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party.

The court ruled that the interests of the Peace Movement Party had been affected by the earlier decision because the party was not joined in the suit, despite claiming ownership of the logo that formed part of the basis for the registration order.

Consequently, the court directed that all parties be restored to the positions they occupied before the December 2025 judgment and ordered that the substantive case be heard afresh with all relevant parties properly joined.

Reacting to the judgment, the Nigeria Democratic Congress rejected the ruling and disclosed plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal. The party's National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, insisted that the NDC had not been deregistered and argued that the trial court lacked the authority to reopen a matter on which it had already delivered a final judgment.

The judgment has continued to generate reactions from opposition leaders and groups, including the NDC's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the party's National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, and other opposition stakeholders. They described the ruling as a setback for Nigeria's multiparty democratic system and vowed to explore every available legal option to challenge it.

Despite the growing reactions, INEC maintained that it would reserve further comments until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy of the court's judgment.

ADEOLA KUNLE