NDC deregistration: ADC warns of one-party state as INEC awaits CTC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will review the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, before taking any decision on the controversy surrounding the registration status of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

INEC’s position came as the African Democratic Congress accused President Bola Tinubu of using state institutions to weaken opposition parties, warning that the country’s democracy was at risk of sliding into a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, responding to an enquiry by Sunday PidomNigeria, said the commission would refrain from commenting on the specifics of the ruling until its legal department had fully examined the court’s decision.

Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja had on Friday 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 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.

However, Oketola said INEC had yet to receive the Certified True Copy of the judgment, adding that the commission would take a decision after reviewing the ruling.

He said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, which set aside an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

“However, as of this moment, the Commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy of the court’s order.

“Once the commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.

“Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling, and the public is urged to await the commission’s formal position on the matter.”

Meanwhile, the ADC alleged that the judgment formed part of what it described as a broader pattern of legal and administrative actions aimed at weakening opposition parties and shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party warned that persistent legal battles involving opposition parties could undermine public confidence in the country’s democratic institutions and electoral process.

According to the ADC, the controversy surrounding the NDC extends beyond one political party and raises broader concerns about political pluralism and constitutional democracy.

“The cumulative effect of these attacks is unmistakable: they weaken the opposition, narrow the democratic space, and strengthen the hands of those already in power. This is not how a healthy democracy functions,” the statement read.

The opposition party further alleged that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had created conditions that undermine fair political competition by failing to guarantee institutional neutrality.

“When opposition parties are persistently distracted by manufactured controversies and prolonged legal uncertainty, the real casualty is the Nigerian people’s right to freely choose among credible political alternatives.

“This has not been the case under the Bola Tinubu administration,” the statement added.

The ADC urged the judiciary to remain independent and avoid actions capable of creating the impression that the courts were being used to settle political disputes in favour of the executive arm of government.

“The judiciary remains one of the last lines of defence for our democracy and must never be perceived as an arena where political battles are settled on behalf of those who wield executive power.

“Justice must not only be done; it must also be seen to be done,” Abdullahi stated.

The party also appealed to opposition parties, civil society organisations, the legal community, organised labour, the media and Nigerians to defend the country’s democratic institutions.

“Yesterday’s target was the NDC. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to offer Nigerians an alternative.

“We must not wait until the democratic space has been completely suffocated before we act,” the statement added.

The ADC maintained that the rights to political participation and freedom of association were constitutional guarantees that should not be undermined.

“The Constitution guarantees freedom of association, political participation and the right of citizens to freely choose their leaders.

“Those rights are not concessions from any government; they are constitutional guarantees that must be defended by all,” the party stated.

This was as the Coalition of United Political Parties condemned the ruling, describing it as “judicial overreach” and a direct assault on democracy and the rule of law.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Acting National Chairman, Peter Ameh, the coalition alleged that the ruling was part of a broader effort to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ameh questioned the legal basis upon which the court entertained an application brought by what he described as an unregistered political association, arguing that only legally recognised entities can institute such proceedings.

“It is laughable that a court would agree to deregister a duly registered political party simply because an unregistered, legally nonexistent party asked it to do so. Something is seriously and fundamentally wrong with integrity of the court decision in that judgment,” he said.

He argued that the development pointed to a deeper institutional problem within the judiciary.

“This is no longer just about the executive arm of government interfering in judicial affairs but deep system rot within the judiciary itself. There appears to be a deeper institutional problem within the judiciary that raises troubling questions about the integrity and consistency of the judicial process. Can our democracy survive without certainty and finality of cases?,” he asked.

Ahmed maintained that the trial judge lacked the powers to revisit the substance of a judgment delivered on December 10, 2025, after the court had become functus officio, except under limited circumstances recognised by law.

According to Ameh, none of those exceptional conditions existed in the case.

He contended that the application leading to the latest ruling was filed more than six months after the original judgment, despite the Independent National Electoral Commission, the only defendant in the suit, not appealing within the three-month period prescribed by law.

The coalition also argued that the NDC had, in the intervening period, conducted party primaries and produced candidates across the country based on the subsisting court judgment.

“It is therefore a clear case of judicial overreach for the judgment to upturn the earlier decision after six months through a very questionable process. This came after NDC had conducted its primaries and candidates had emerged across Nigeria,” Ameh said.