NDC: Appeal Court protected Nigeria’s democracy – Dickson

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By Henry Umoru

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ABUJA — National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, has described the Court of Appeal’s decision upholding the party’s registration as a protection of Nigeria’s democratic space.

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The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had set aside the June 26 judgment of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, which reversed an earlier decision directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register the NDC as a political party.

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The appellate court’s decision followed an appeal by the NDC against the judgment delivered by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja.

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In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday, Dickson commended the judiciary, particularly Justices Mohammed Danjuma and Muslim Sule Hassan, for what he described as upholding the integrity of the judicial system and expanding the scope of multiparty democratic participation in Nigeria.

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Dickson said the Court of Appeal had set aside the Lokoja judgment, which, according to him, had purported to deregister the NDC.

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He said: “Today, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, delivered by Justice Isah Dashen a few months ago, which purported to order the deregistration of our party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

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“In a judgment delivered by the presiding Justice, Justice Mohammed Danjuma and read by Justice Hassan, the Court ruled in favour of allowing our appeal, which challenged the faulty ruling of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, and accordingly, set aside Justice Dashen’s judgment.”

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The NDC leader further commended Justices Danjuma and Hassan, saying their decision had, in his view, strengthened multiparty participation.

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Dickson said the party was established to expand the frontiers of multiparty democracy, adding that the earlier Lokoja judgment had created uncertainty over its participation in the electoral process.

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He said: “Happily, today, by the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Nigerian democratic space has been protected, and the NDC’s right to participate in all political activities as a registered political party has been upheld.”

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He congratulated members and candidates of the party and thanked Nigerians for their support.

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Dickson also declared that the NDC’s registration remained valid and that the party and its candidates would participate in the 2027 elections.

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“Everyone should now focus on the campaigns, prepare for the elections, and focus on the task ahead,” he said.

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He added that the party remained confident in its message, members and candidates, while expressing optimism about its participation in the forthcoming elections.

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The dispute over the NDC’s registration followed a December 10, 2025 judgment directing INEC to register the party. On June 26, 2026, however, Justice Dashen set aside that judgment after an application by the Peace Movement Party, which argued that its interests, including those relating to the party’s symbol, had been affected without it being joined in the original suit.

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The Court of Appeal has now overturned that June 26 decision, with the appellate court holding, among other things, that the Federal High Court could not sit on appeal over its own final judgment.

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