The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, and upheld the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The appellate court’s decision reverses the June 26, 2026, judgment delivered by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which had set aside an earlier ruling directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC.
The Court of Appeal reportedly held that the lower court was wrong to revisit its December 10, 2025, judgment through an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP).
Reports indicate that the appellate court’s majority decision found that a trial court could not effectively sit on appeal over its own final judgment, except in circumstances permitted by law, such as correcting clerical or accidental errors.
The legal dispute dates back to December 2025, when the Federal High Court in Lokoja ordered INEC to register the NDC after the electoral commission had initially refused to recognise the party.
The Peace Movement Party later approached the court, arguing that its interests had been affected by the judgment because it was not joined as a party to the original proceedings. The PMP also claimed an interest in the logo used in connection with the NDC’s registration.
In June 2026, Justice Dashen upheld the PMP’s application and set aside the December 10, 2025, judgment. The court consequently ordered that the parties be restored to their positions before the earlier judgment while directing that necessary parties be joined for the substantive issues to be determined.
The NDC subsequently appealed the decision, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to reverse its own final judgment through the application brought by the PMP. The party had maintained that it remained legally registered and vowed to challenge the ruling at the appellate court.
The Court of Appeal has now overturned the June 2026 ruling, restoring the effect of the earlier judgment directing INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The development was confirmed on Friday by NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, who announced the ruling in a post on X.
“Appeal Court upholds NDC’s registration, overrules Justice Dashen of Lokoja High Court,” Director wrote, according to reports.
The latest ruling marks another development in the ongoing legal dispute over the NDC’s registration and recognition by INEC, with further legal steps potentially available to the parties involved.