Nigeria: Court of Appeal reinstates NDC registration ahead of 2027

The Abuja Court of Appeal overturned a federal court ruling from Lokoja on Friday, September 18, which had challenged the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The decision, made by a majority of two votes to one, reinstates the effect of the ruling that led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the party.

The dispute dates back to a December 10, 2025, ruling that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the NDC. In June 2026, the same Lokoja court subsequently annulled this decision at the request of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed it had not been involved in the case while asserting rights over the logo used by the NDC.

According to consistent reports on the appeal decision, the majority found that the lower court could not revisit its own final judgment as if it were sitting in appeal. Therefore, the June ruling was set aside.

The immediate political effect is that the NDC’s status as a registered party remains in effect. The INEC website currently lists the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a recognized and certified party, with its leadership registered by court order.

In a statement released after the ruling, NDC officials asserted that the party’s registration remains valid and that its candidates would be eligible to participate in the 2027 elections. The majority opinion of the Court of Appeal remains applicable unless it is eventually overturned by the Supreme Court.

This decision comes just days after another ruling concerning the NDC’s visual identity. On September 8, a federal court in Abuja ordered the INEC to recognize and publish the modified logo of the party, a decision that the Commission subsequently implemented.