Court Nullifies Ruling on Nigeria Democratic Congress Registration

On Friday, a Federal High Court in Lokoja, presided over by Justice Isah Dashen, nullified an earlier judgment that mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). This ruling was shared via a social media post by Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The court's decision arrives at a time when established opposition parties are grappling with significant internal challenges. Recently, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party, along with three other political associations, following a lawsuit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators.

The lawsuit argued that these parties failed to meet the constitutional threshold required by Nigerian law, which mandates that a party must secure at least 25 percent of votes in a state during presidential elections and win at least one electoral seat at the national, state, or local government levels to maintain registration. The court ruled that these parties performed poorly and did not meet the necessary benchmarks during the 2023 elections.