A Federal High Court in Lokoja has cancelled an earlier judgment that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress as a political party.
The decision was delivered by the presiding judge, Justice Isah Dashen on Friday.
The information about the court’s decision was shared on Friday through a social media post on X by Lere Olayinka, who serves as the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
This fresh ruling in Lokoja comes at a time when established opposition parties are facing deep internal challenges.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Accord Party are currently are among those affected.
According to reports, the Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered the electoral commission to deregister the ADC, the Accord Party, and three other political associations. This directive followed a lawsuit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, which argued that these parties failed to meet the required constitutional thresholds.
Under Nigerian law, parties must secure at least 25 percent of the votes in a state during a presidential election or win at least one elective seat at the national, state, or local government level to maintain their registration. The court ruled that these parties performed poorly and failed to meet these benchmarks during the 2023 elections and subsequent by-elections.Nigerian Economic Insights