The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will withhold its position on the recent Federal High Court ruling concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
The commission made this known in a statement issued on Saturday by its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola.
INEC explained that while it is aware of widespread media reports on the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Lokoja on June 26, it is unable to make any official comments without first studying the certified court document.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, which set aside an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“However, as of this moment, the Commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the court’s order,” the statement said.
According to the electoral body, its legal department will examine the judgment immediately after obtaining the CTC and advise the commission on the appropriate legal and administrative steps to take.
“Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.
“Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling, and the public is urged to await the Commission’s formal position on the matter,” Oketola added.
Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja had on Friday nullified the court’s earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which directed INEC to register the NDC as a political party. The court ruled that the interests of the Peace Movement Party had been affected because it was not joined in the original suit despite claiming ownership of the logo used to obtain the registration order.
Following the decision, Justice Dashen directed that all parties be returned to the positions they occupied before the December 2025 judgment. He also ordered that the substantive suit be heard afresh with all necessary parties included in the proceedings.
The NDC has, however, rejected the judgment and announced its intention to challenge the ruling at the appellate court. Its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, insisted that the party remains legally recognised and argued that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to reopen a case on which it had already delivered a final judgment.
The ruling has also drawn criticism from opposition figures, including the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, and other stakeholders. They described the judgment as a threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and pledged to pursue all available legal avenues to overturn the decision.
Despite the reactions, INEC maintained that it would not take a position on the matter until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
