The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declined to take an official position on the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which set aside an earlier order directing the commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

The electoral body said it would refrain from commenting on the merits or implications of the judgment until it obtains and thoroughly examines the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court’s decision.

INEC made its position known in a statement issued on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman of the Commission, Adedayo Oketola, amid widespread public debate generated by Friday’s court ruling.

According to the commission, although it is aware of numerous media reports regarding the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, it has yet to receive the official certified copy of the ruling from the court and, therefore, cannot make an informed legal determination.

“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 read.

INEC explained that its legal department would carefully scrutinise the contents of the judgment once the certified copy becomes available before advising the commission on the appropriate legal and administrative steps to take.

The commission stressed that it remains committed to acting strictly within the confines of the law and would ensure that any decision taken complies fully with the directives of the court.

“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 stated.

The commission’s cautious response comes less than 24 hours after Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja nullified the court’s earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which had compelled INEC to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party.

In the latest ruling, Justice Dashen held that the earlier judgment was defective because it was delivered without joining the Peace Movement Party (PMP), an interested party that claimed ownership of the “victory sign” logo relied upon by the NDC during its application for registration.

According to the court, the rights and interests of the Peace Movement Party were directly affected by the earlier proceedings, yet the party was not given an opportunity to participate in the case before judgment was delivered.

The judge ruled that denying the PMP the opportunity to be heard amounted to a breach of the principles of fair hearing guaranteed under the Constitution.

Consequently, the court set aside its previous judgment and ordered that all parties return to the positions they occupied before the December 10, 2025, decision.

Justice Dashen also directed that the substantive suit be heard afresh after all necessary parties have been properly joined in the proceedings.

The judgment has generated considerable legal and political debate across the country, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum.

Shortly after the ruling, the Nigeria Democratic Congress rejected the decision, insisting that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to revisit and overturn its own final judgment.

The party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, argued that the trial court had become functus officio immediately after delivering its judgment in December 2025 and therefore lacked the legal authority to reopen the matter through a motion.

According to him, once a court has delivered its final judgment, it ceases to have jurisdiction over the substantive issues except under narrowly defined circumstances recognised by law.

Cleopas also maintained that Friday’s judgment did not amount to the deregistration of the NDC as widely speculated in some quarters.

He insisted that there was no express order deregistering the party and reassured members, supporters, and candidates that the NDC remained committed to participating fully in Nigeria’s democratic process.

The NDC chairman announced that the party had already instructed its legal team to immediately file an appeal before the Court of Appeal.

Expressing confidence in the judicial process, he said the party believed the appellate court would overturn the Lokoja ruling and restore the earlier judgment directing INEC to register the NDC.

The controversy surrounding the judgment has continued to attract reactions from several opposition political parties and prominent political leaders.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the decision as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy, arguing that it further narrows the country’s democratic space and weakens the multiparty political system.

According to the PDP, the judgment raises concerns about the future of political pluralism and healthy electoral competition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The opposition party also alleged that the ruling aligns with what it described as efforts by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to weaken credible opposition platforms before the next electoral cycle.

Similarly, the African Action Congress (AAC) condemned the judgment, characterising it as another step towards what it described as a gradual movement towards a one-party state.

The AAC alleged that the court’s decision forms part of a broader pattern aimed at suppressing opposition voices and limiting democratic participation.

The party called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and to defend the country’s democratic institutions through peaceful and lawful means.

According to the AAC, preserving Nigeria’s multiparty democracy remains essential to ensuring political accountability and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens.

The NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also criticised the judgment, describing it as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic development.

Obi argued that decisions capable of restricting political participation undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and reduce the range of choices available to voters.

The party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, alongside several other opposition figures, likewise condemned the ruling and pledged to pursue every available legal remedy to challenge it.

They maintained that the appellate courts would provide an opportunity to clarify the legal questions raised by the judgment while safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic principles.

Despite the growing political controversy generated by the ruling, INEC has maintained that it will not be drawn into public debate until it has formally received and reviewed the Certified True Copy of the court’s judgment.

The commission reiterated that its next course of action would be guided entirely by the law, the contents of the court’s decision, and the advice of its legal department.

Until that process is completed, INEC said it would reserve further comments on the matter, urging political parties, stakeholders, and members of the public to await its official position after a comprehensive legal review of the judgment.