The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected a ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, setting aside an earlier judgment that led to its registration as a political party, insisting that it remains duly registered and will immediately challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
The party’s reaction came as the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, described the judgment as “an unnecessary serious setback for Nigerian democracy,” warning against actions capable of weakening the country’s democratic institutions.
In a statement issued after the ruling, the NDC said the order arose from an application filed by an unregistered association, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed that it had applied for registration with the same victory sign as its proposed symbol in 2015.
The party recalled that it had approached the Federal High Court in December 2025 after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declined to register it despite its compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
According to the NDC, the court had upheld its constitutional right to freedom of association and directed INEC to register it as a political party, a judgment the commission subsequently complied with.
The party said that since its registration, it had embarked on membership registration nationwide, conducted ward, local government, state and national congresses, held its national convention, and concluded primary elections for elective offices in line with INEC’s timetable.
It added that it had already participated in 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 NDC argued that the Peace Movement Party is neither a registered political party nor an association participating in the current registration exercise, maintaining that the trial court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in the matter.
“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 read.
The party reassured its members and candidates that it remained in the race for the 2027 elections.
“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,” it added.
The party also accused unnamed interests of attempting to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space by frustrating opposition political platforms.
Reacting separately, Peter Obi said he received news of the Lokoja court ruling while attending engagements in Imo State, including a visit to the School of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku, and the 80th birthday celebration of the Emeritus Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna.
Obi said the development should worry every Nigerian committed to democratic governance.
“Every Nigerian committed to the country’s progress should be deeply concerned. This judgment represents another setback for our democracy and the institutions upon which our future depends,” he said.
He warned against what he described as a growing pattern of weakening democratic institutions, arguing that democracy cannot flourish where institutions lose their independence and credibility.
“It is regrettable that some who claim to champion democracy now appear determined to weaken the very institutions that sustain it. In doing so, they are undermining public confidence and endangering the future of millions of Nigerians,” Obi stated.
The former Anambra State governor said his position was consistent with his earlier criticism of actions affecting other opposition parties.
“When a similar situation recently affected the ADC, I condemned it without hesitation. I do so again today because my position has always been guided by principle,” he said.
Obi stressed that his concern was not about who emerges president in 2027 but about safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“My concern is not about who becomes President. My concern is that Nigeria works. Our politics must move beyond the quest for power and focus instead on building a united nation founded on justice, strong institutions, the rule of law, and equal opportunity,” he added.
He called on Nigerians to rise above partisan interests and defend the country’s democracy, saying the survival of Nigeria’s institutions is critical to the nation’s future.