Federal High Court Fixes July 7 to Hear Fresh Suit Seeking Deregistration of NDC
By Grace Chidimma Ibe
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed July 7, 2026, for the hearing of a fresh suit seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter on Monday after counsel to the plaintiff, B.J. Akomolafe, requested additional time to respond to court processes that were served earlier in the day by counsel to the NDC, Moses Achile.
During the proceedings, legal representatives for both the plaintiff and the NDC were present in court. However, INEC, which is listed as the first defendant in the suit, was not represented. The court consequently directed that a hearing notice be issued and served on the electoral commission before the next adjourned date.
The suit was filed by Mr. Ahidjo Karlahi, the Protem Director of Organisation of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), who is challenging the legality of the NDC's registration as a political party. In the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1115/2026, Karlahi contends that the NDC failed to comply with constitutional and statutory requirements governing the registration of political parties.
According to the plaintiff, the NDC was neither among the associations prequalified by INEC during the 2025 political party registration exercise nor among those that allegedly paid the prescribed administrative fee and obtained access to the commission's registration portal. He further claimed that the party did not complete Form EC15A, which he described as the mandatory application form for political party registration.
Based on these allegations, Karlahi is asking the court to declare the NDC's registration unconstitutional, unlawful and void. He also seeks an order nullifying the party's certificate of registration, directing INEC to remove the NDC from the register of political parties, and restraining the party from participating in any electoral activities pending compliance with the law.
The plaintiff maintained that the action was instituted in his personal capacity to promote constitutionalism, electoral integrity and the rule of law. He emphasized that the suit was not filed on behalf of the All Democratic Alliance or any other political group. He also urged Nigerians, civil society organisations and the media to closely monitor the proceedings, describing the case as an important test of constitutional compliance within Nigeria's electoral system.
The latest legal challenge follows a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which set aside its earlier judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party. Justice Isah Dashen held that the previous judgment was constitutionally defective because all interested parties, including the Peace Movement Party (PMP), were not given an opportunity to be heard before the decision was delivered.
Following that ruling, the NDC announced its intention to challenge the judgment before the Court of Appeal, paving the way for another round of legal proceedings over the party's registration and its future participation in Nigeria's electoral process.
