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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it will not take a position on the recent High Court judgment involving the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.
In an interview with Punch on Saturday, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission was aware of reports that a High Court in Lokoja had set aside an earlier judgment relating to the party’s registration, but had yet to obtain the official court documents.
He said the commission’s legal department would study the judgment after receiving the certified copy before deciding on its next course of action in line with the court’s directives.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, 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 (CTC) of the court’s order,” the statement read.
“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,” Oketola added.
The court on Friday nullified its December 10, 2025, judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
Justice Isah Dashen ruled that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo used in securing the registration order but was not joined in the original suit.
The court ordered that all parties return to their positions before the December 2025 judgment and directed that the substantive case be heard afresh after all necessary parties had been joined.
The NDC has rejected the ruling and announced plans to appeal. The party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered a final judgment and maintained that the party had not been deregistered.
The ruling has also drawn criticism from opposition figures, including the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, who described it as a setback for Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and pledged to pursue legal remedies.
