… Dismisses PMP’s claims, questions legal standing

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ondo State chapter, has kicked against the ruling of a Federal High Court in Lokoja that set aside an earlier judgement compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.

While describing the development as an attempt to shrink the democratic space of the country, NDC stressed that the trial court lacked the competence to revisit a final and unappealed decision.

The party has also questioned the position of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which it describes as an unregistered association, to bring the application that led to the ruling.

The court, presided over by Justice Isah Dashen, on Friday vacated the December 2025 judgement which had upheld the NDC’s constitutional right to freedom of association and ordered INEC to register the party.

The ruling followed an application by PMP, which claimed ownership of the logo adopted by the NDC and argued that it should have been joined as a party in the original suit.

According to NDC, in a statement by its chairman in the state, Kennedy Peretei, the trial court became “functus officio”, having exhausted its judicial powers over the matter, once it delivered its final judgement in December 2025.

Peretei maintained that the judgement had conclusively determined all issues relating to the party’s name, symbol and colours, and no appeal was filed against it within the statutory period.

The statement read in part, ‘Since its registration, the NDC has operated lawfully within the framework of the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC guidelines.’ The party has registered members nationwide, conducted ward, local government and state congresses and held its national convention successfully.

“We conducted primary elections and participated in all INEC activities, including the recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu States. We have also nominated candidates for all elective offices in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

“Our party, as directed by the National Leader, His Excellency Senator Henry Seriaki Dickson, the National Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC), reassures its candidates, members and supporters that the party remains operational and that all nominations made remain valid pending the determination of the appeal.

“We express confidence that justice will ultimately prevail. However, our party also condemns attempts to use judicial processes to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space and frustrate legitimate political alternatives.

“We maintain that if any party was dissatisfied with the original judgement, the proper legal remedy was to file an appeal within the prescribed period rather than seek to overturn a final judgement through a motion.

“The NDC thanks Nigerians for their continued support and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to constitutional democracy, the rule of law and the advancement of credible political alternatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.”