The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has set aside the Federal High Court’s judgment in Lokoja, Kogi State, which ordered the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

In a split decision of two to one, a three-member panel of the appellate court validated the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recognition of the NDC, declaring the judgment delivered by the lower court on July 26 perverse.

The appellate court held that the lower court had abused its powers and the judicial hierarchy by effectively sitting on appeal over its own previous judgment, delivered on December 10, 2025, which had approved the registration of the NDC by INEC.

In the majority decision, Justice Mohammed Danjuma and Justice Muslim Sule Hassan also dismissed a dispute over the NDC’s party logo, which an association under the aegis of the Peace Movement Party (PMP) claimed belonged to it.

The two justices held that the appeal filed by the NDC had merit and accordingly allowed it.

However, another member of the panel, Justice Okon Abang, gave a dissenting judgment and upheld the deregistration of the NDC as a political party.

Justice Abang said he found no reason to fault the high court, which, he held, had acted in accordance with the principles of justice and fair hearing.

The Lokoja High Court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Isah Dashen, had voided its earlier judgment ordering INEC to register the NDC.

The reversal followed an application brought before the court by the PMP, which insisted that it had not been joined in the original proceedings despite having a legal interest in the matter.

The High Court agreed with the applicant, stressing that all parties with vested interests ought to have been allowed to participate in the proceedings before it issued the order directing INEC to register the party.

Consequently, Justice Dashen ordered a fresh hearing of the case, with all relevant parties properly joined.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the NDC, which had since nominated candidates for the 2027 general elections, appealed to the Court of Appeal, where it secured a favourable judgment.