The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed the recent Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja, Kogi State, which set aside the earlier order directing INEC to register the party, stating that the decision lacks legal foundation. National Secretary of the NDC, Ikenna Enekweizu, argued that the court’s original ruling had already declared the party “deemed registered” by INEC, and the new judgment contradicts established facts. He emphasized that the party had fulfilled all registration requirements and was unlawfully denied registration without valid justification.
The Federal High Court’s initial judgment, delivered earlier, had ordered INEC to register the NDC after finding that the electoral body failed to provide a legitimate reason for rejecting the party’s application. The court specifically noted that INEC had admitted during proceedings that the sole reason for rejecting the NDC’s registration was that its logo resembled that of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Enekweizu stressed that this admission was critical, as it confirmed the original grounds for the lawsuit.
He explained that the party had no reason to include the Peace Movement Party (PMP) in the case, as PMP does not exist and was never among the 171 political associations that applied for registration with INEC. At the time the NDC filed its case, there were 18 registered political parties, and PMP was not among them. Enekweizu pointed out that INEC only introduced PMP as a new defense during the trial, which he described as a violation of legal principles.
According to Enekweizu, it is fundamentally wrong for a party to abandon its initial defense and introduce a new one after litigation has begun. He stated that INEC’s admission during court hearings—that the NDC’s logo does not resemble the APC’s and that PMP is not a registered party—undermines the basis for the recent judgment. He further noted that the judge had directly questioned INEC on these points, and INEC confirmed that PMP was not registered and had not applied for registration.
The NDC leader concluded that the court’s recent decision is legally flawed and will not stand. He reiterated that the party’s case was based on INEC’s failure to register them despite meeting all requirements, and the original judgment correctly recognized their deemed registration status. The NDC remains confident that the legal process will ultimately uphold their right to be recognized as a political party in Nigeria. This development continues to highlight the challenges political parties face in navigating Nigeria’s electoral registration system.
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