Nigeria's NDC Deregistration Saga: Peter Obi and Tanimu Turaki's Faction Rejects Court Ruling

The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Friday said it would challenge the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which set aside its earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the party.

The party maintained that it had not been deregistered despite the latest court ruling. Among those who condemned the judgment were the presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi; the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party; members of the NDC caucus in the House of Representatives; the Obidient Movement; and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

They alleged that the judgment was part of a broader attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election. While the NDC maintained that there was no order directing its deregistration and assured members that all party activities would continue uninterrupted, opposition figures described the verdict as a dangerous development capable of shrinking the country’s democratic space and undermining confidence in the judiciary.

The controversy followed Friday’s ruling by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, who set aside the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment compelling INEC to register the NDC as a political party. The judge held that the earlier judgment adversely affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon in obtaining the registration order but was not joined as a party in the suit.

Counsel for the applicant, C.S. Ekeocha, said the court ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the December 10 judgment and directed that all necessary parties be joined before the substantive suit is heard afresh.

According to him, the ruling effectively reversed every action taken by INEC pursuant to the earlier judgment, including the recognition of the NDC and the issuance of its certificate of registration, pending a fresh determination of the substantive suit.

Reacting within hours of the judgment, NDC National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, said the party’s legal team had been instructed to immediately challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

In a statement posted on the party’s official Facebook page, Cleopas argued that the trial court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment and therefore lacked the jurisdiction to set aside its earlier decision through a motion.

He also questioned the standing of the Peace Movement Party, insisting it was neither a registered political party nor part of the current registration process before the court.

“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order,” he said.

Cleopas assured party members and candidates that the legal challenge would not affect preparations for the 2027 elections. ‘‘We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We have no doubt that justice will be done,’‘ he added.

The party chairman further accused unnamed forces of attempting to suppress opposition parties through the courts.

‘‘We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have a right to a full range of opinions, ideas and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates should be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which has already gone midway,’’ he stated.

Cleopas also described the application that resulted in Friday’s ruling as ‘‘illegal and an outright abuse of court process,’’ insisting that any aggrieved party ought to have appealed the original judgment rather than seek to overturn it through a motion.

Commenting on the judgment, Obi, in a statement posted on his social media platforms, described the development as another setback for the country’s democracy.

‘‘Every Nigerian committed to the country’s progress should be deeply concerned. This judgment represents another setback for our democracy and the institutions upon which our future depends,’’ he said.

He accused some political actors of undermining democratic institutions despite claiming to support democracy.

‘‘It is regrettable that some who claim to champion democracy now appear determined to weaken the very institutions that sustain it. In doing so, they are undermining public confidence and endangering the future of millions of Nigerians,’’ Obi said.

‘‘The legislature and the judiciary are increasingly being drawn into this pattern of undermining democratic institutions. This is a recipe for chaos and disaster,’’ he added.

‘‘We must stand together and fight against this attempt to strangle our democracy. The NDC will continue to fight for the rights of Nigerians and for the democratic values that our country stands for,’’ he concluded.