The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has assured its candidates for the 2027 elections that the ruling of a Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, will not stop participation in next year’s elections.

A Federal High Court in Lokoja, had set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register NDC as a political party.

INEC had registered NDC as a political party on February 5, 2026, based on the judgement of December 10, 2025.

But on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen, the presiding judge, held that the earlier judgment was constitutionally defective as it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties.

He declared that such an omission rendered the entire process null and void.

The judge ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of December 10, 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the party said it was dissatisfied with the ruling on an application filed by an unregistered association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP).

According to the NDC, it secured a Federal High Court judgment in December 2025 compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it as a political party after the commission initially refused its application.

The statement said since registration, the NDC had carried out political activities nationwide, including membership registration, ward, local government, state, and national congresses, conventions, and party primaries in line with INEC’s timetable.

It also said it participated in the recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and had nominated candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential, and vice-presidential elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The association that filed the complaint is unknown to us. The Peace Movement Party (PMP) is not a registered political party in Nigeria. They claimed, in a motion (not even a substantive suit or appeal), that the court should set aside its earlier judgment on the purported ground that, in 2015, they had sought registration as a political party with the victory sign as their symbol and were denied,” the statement read.

“Accordingly, we have been informed that His Lordship made an order setting aside the court’s earlier decision of December 2025.

“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order”, the statement noted.

The party reassured its members and candidates that its political activities remained valid despite the court ruling.

“We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We have no doubt that justice will be done.

“We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have a right to a full range of opinions, ideas, and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates should be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which has already gone midway.”

The party argued that if the Peace Movement Party believed it was affected by the December 2025 judgment, its proper legal remedy would have been to file an appeal within the statutory period rather than seek to overturn the judgment through a motion.

“To now try to upturn that verdict through the back door, via a motion, is not only unheard-of, but also illegal and an outright abuse of court process,” it stated.

The NDC thanked its members and supporters for their continued confidence, insisting that all nominations already conducted remained valid and expressing confidence that the appellate court would overturn the ruling.