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<p>By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa</p><div class="UUnCPE9w" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>A federal high court in Lokoja has set aside its earlier judgment which compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.</p>
<p>Isah Dashen, presiding judge, while delivering ruling in a suit marked FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, held that the December 10, 2025, judgment was reached without hearing all necessary parties, rendering the proceedings constitutionally defective.</p>
<p>According to NAN, the ruling followed an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it had a legal interest in the case and should have been made a party before the court delivered judgment.</p>
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<p>Dashen agreed, holding that the applicant had established sufficient interest to be a party in the proceedings.</p>
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<p>The judge said the omission rendered the entire process null and void.</p>
<p>He also held that material facts were not disclosed during the earlier proceedings, making it necessary to vacate the previous order.</p>
<p>Consequently, he ordered that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 2025 judgment, pending the determination of the substantive suit.</p>
<p>The court also ordered that the substantive suit begin afresh, with INEC, the PMP and the NDC joined as parties.</p>
<p>On February 5, 2026, Joash Amupitan, INEC chairman, said “only two” out of the eight “qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the constitution and the Electoral Act”.</p>
<p>Despite not being part of the pre-qualified associations, the NDC was also registered by INEC.</p>
<p>“The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi state, in suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni &; Ors v. INEC ordered the commission to register Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party,” Amupitan said.</p>
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