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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it will not take any action regarding the status of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the recent Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja. The commission said it is aware of reports concerning the ruling that set aside an earlier court order directing the registration of the NDC but emphasized that it must first study the official court documents before determining its next steps.
In a statement issued on Friday, INEC explained that it had not yet received the CTC of the judgment and therefore could not make a definitive pronouncement on the implications of the ruling. The commission stressed that any decision affecting the party’s registration would be guided strictly by the law and the contents of the court’s order once officially obtained.
The development follows a Federal High Court decision in Lokoja that nullified an earlier judgment which had compelled INEC to register the NDC as a political party. The court held that certain interested parties were not properly joined in the original suit and ordered a fresh hearing of the substantive matter.
Meanwhile, the NDC has rejected the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal, insisting that the judgment does not automatically amount to the party’s deregistration. The legal dispute has intensified political debate ahead of the 2027 general elections, with stakeholders closely watching INEC’s eventual response once it receives the certified court documents.
