The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has insisted that it remains a legally registered political party despite a recent ruling of the Federal High Court in Lokoja setting aside an earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it.

In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the party said it had instructed its legal team to immediately challenge the ruling before the Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to revisit its final judgment.

The party recalled that it had approached the Federal High Court in December 2025 after INEC declined to register it as a political party. According to the NDC, the court upheld its constitutional right to freedom of association and ordered INEC to register the party, a directive the electoral commission subsequently complied with.

The NDC said that since its registration, it has conducted nationwide political activities, including membership registration, ward, local government, state and national congresses, national conventions and primary elections in line with INEC's timetable.

It added that it participated in the recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and has already nominated candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential and vice-presidential elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party maintained that the applicant in the case, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), is neither a registered political party nor an association participating in the current registration exercise. It argued that the group's application was merely a motion and not a substantive suit or appeal.

According to the NDC, the court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in December 2025 and therefore lacked jurisdiction to set aside that decision.

It further argued that any party dissatisfied with the original judgment ought to have appealed within the legally prescribed period rather than seek to overturn it through a fresh application.

The party stressed that the Lokoja court did not order its deregistration and reassured its members, supporters and candidates that its nominations remain valid while the legal challenge proceeds.

The NDC also accused unnamed actors of attempting to shrink Nigeria's democratic space by using the judiciary to frustrate opposition political platforms.

It expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the ruling and affirm its legal status ahead of the 2027 general elections.