By Deborah Nnamdi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will comply with the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the order compelling it to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party once it obtains the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.
The commission disclosed that it has already applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Lokoja and would act in line with the law after reviewing its contents.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission could not make further comments until it received the judgment.
“We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment. Until we receive it, we cannot be in a position to comment on it. However, the position that existed before the December 10, 2025 judgment was that INEC rejected NDC’s letter of intent to be registered as a political party,” Haruna told Saturday Vanguard.
The commission’s position follows Friday’s ruling by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which set aside the court’s earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, ordering INEC to register the NDC.
Justice Dashen held that the earlier judgment was flawed because it was delivered without hearing all parties affected by the matter, particularly the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon by the NDC in securing the registration order.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the Peace Movement Party, C.S. Ekeocha, said the ruling effectively reversed every action taken by INEC based on the earlier court order.
He said the recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from the earlier judgment should be withdrawn pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Ekeocha added that the court ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgment and directed that all necessary parties be joined to ensure a comprehensive hearing of the substantive case.
He also clarified that the substantive suit remains pending before the court and has not yet been decided on its merits.
With the matter set for a fresh hearing, INEC is expected to restore the status quo that existed before the December 2025 judgment, pending the final determination of the case.
