Appeal Court Upholds NDC Registration, Sets Aside Lokoja Court Judgment

Appeal Court Upholds NDC Registration, Sets Aside Lokoja Court Judgment

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja which had nullified the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

In a split 2-1 decision, the three-member appellate panel upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to recognise the NDC and its use of the two-finger victory sign as the party’s logo.

In the majority judgment delivered by Justices Muhammad Danjuma and Muslim Sule Hassan, the court held that the Peace Movement Party (PMP), an unregistered political association, could not rely on the Lokoja proceedings to challenge the NDC’s registration, according to reports on the judgment.

The dispute followed the June 26, 2026 decision of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which had set aside its earlier judgment directing INEC to register the NDC. The lower court had held that the PMP had a legal interest in the matter, particularly over the disputed logo, and should have been joined in the original proceedings.

However, in a dissenting judgment, Justice Okon Abang upheld the position of the lower court, holding that the PMP’s prior application concerning the two-finger logo warranted consideration.

Justice Abang also held that the NDC’s case was statute-barred and allowed the PMP’s cross-appeal on the issue of fair hearing, awarding ₦10 million in costs in its favour.

The Court of Appeal’s majority decision effectively restores the legal position recognising the NDC as a registered political party, overturning the judgment that had nullified its registration.

Appeal Court Upholds NDC Registration, Sets Aside Lokoja Court Judgment