The Peace Movement Party says it approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration process relied on a logo it had previously submitted to INEC.
Counsel to the Peace Movement Party (PMP), C.S. Ekeocha, has explained that the party instituted legal proceedings after discovering that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) relied on a logo the PMP had earlier submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the commencement of the original suit over the party’s registration.
According to Ekeocha, the Federal High Court in Lokoja agreed that the PMP’s rights were affected because it was not joined as a party in the earlier proceedings that culminated in the December 10, 2025 judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party. The court consequently set aside that judgment and ordered that all parties return to the position they occupied before the ruling was delivered.
Ekeocha told journalists that the court directed the claimants to join all necessary parties so that the issues in dispute could be “effectually and completely determined.” He stressed that the substantive case has not been decided and that the court merely vacated its earlier judgment to ensure that every party with a direct interest in the dispute is heard before a fresh determination is made.
He further explained that the implication of the ruling is that actions taken by INEC pursuant to the now-vacated judgment—including the recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration and its inclusion in the Commission’s records—stand reversed pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The ruling returns the dispute over the NDC’s registration to the Federal High Court for a fresh hearing, with the court directing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peace Movement Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress be joined as parties in the substantive case before a new decision is reached.