Politics: NDC Registration: Your Candidature Not Threatened, Seriake Tells Party Nominees

Politics:
NDC Registration: Your Candidature Not Threatened, Seriake Tells Party Nominees

A court verdict had set aside an earlier judgment that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.

National leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson. Photo: iamHSDickson/X

The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has called for calm among the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 election, saying there is no need for alarm despite a court ruling setting aside an order to register the party.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Senator Dickson said the party is legally addressing the issue.

“I want to thank all Nigerians for their support, solidarity, and prayers. As a matter of fact, since Friday, thousands of Nigerians have been flocking to our website to register. They now know more about our party, they sympathise with our party and our candidates, and they are flocking and buying into our vision of our party and our candidates. So, I thank them for their support and prayers,” Dickson said.

“To be clear, the NDC has not been deregistered. The NDC has validly nominated candidates for all elective offices in primaries monitored nationwide by INEC. From the House of Assembly, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the governorship, and our presidential candidate, who has also nominated a running mate. I am also a senatorial candidate of the party.

“All nominations have been validly carried out and monitored by INEC in accordance with the timeframe given by INEC. So, I assure all our candidates and members that those nominations remain valid and by the laws of this country, nominations are done at the primaries that take place at various levels; the submission to INEC is an administrative procedure. So, the NDC is still a party. The court itself did not deregister it, and no step has been taken to that effect.”

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The Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgment in which it asked INEC to register the NDC. Justice Isah Dashen, who delivered the ruling, held that the court’s December 10, 2025, judgment adversely affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not joined as a party in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon in obtaining the judgment.

Counsel for the applicant, C. S. Ekeocha, told journalists that the PMP approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was based on a logo it had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.

According to Ekeocha, the court agreed that the applicant’s rights had been affected and consequently vacated the earlier judgment.