The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has assured its members, supporters and candidates that it will participate fully in the 2027 general elections despite a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which has raised questions about the party’s legal status.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the National Chairman of the NDC, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, described the court ruling as politically motivated and part of a broader effort to shrink Nigeria’s democratic space and suppress opposition voices.
Zuwoghe maintained that the party remains legally recognised and that all its candidates for various elective positions would be on the ballot in 2027.
“Peter Obi is the hope of Nigeria’s rescue. We believe this is part of the process aimed at shrinking the democratic space in Nigeria.
“We are confident that justice will prevail because the judgment did not come from the highest court of the land. All our candidates will be on the ballot,” he said.
The NDC chairman explained that the party’s journey to registration began in December 2025 when it challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) refusal to register it as a political party.
According to him, the Federal High Court subsequently upheld the association’s constitutional right to freedom of association and ordered INEC to register it as a political party, a directive that was complied with by the electoral body.
He noted that since its registration, the NDC has actively participated in the political process by conducting membership registration, holding ward, local government, state and national congresses, organising conventions, and concluding primary elections in line with INEC’s timetable.
The party, he added, also participated in recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and has already nominated candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections.
Zuwoghe said the party was in the process of formally submitting its candidates to INEC when the court ruling emerged.
The NDC chairman questioned the legal standing of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), the association that filed the application leading to the latest court ruling.
According to him, PMP is neither a registered political party nor an association currently seeking registration under the ongoing political process.
He argued that the Federal High Court had already delivered a final judgment on the matter and had become functus officio, having exhausted its jurisdiction on issues surrounding the registration of the NDC.
“The association that filed the complaint is unknown to us. The Peace Movement Party is not a registered political party in Nigeria. They merely claimed in a motion that they had sought registration in 2015 using the victory sign as their symbol and were denied.
“We are surprised that the court concluded that they have locus standi and that it had jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which a final judgment had already been delivered,” he said.
Zuwoghe disclosed that although the court reportedly set aside its earlier judgment of December 2025, there was no order directing the deregistration of the NDC.
He said the party had already instructed its legal team to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision and have instructed our lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of the order,” he stated.
The NDC chairman reassured party members and candidates that all nominations made by the party remain valid and that its platform remains legally intact.
He condemned what he described as attempts to use the judiciary to narrow Nigeria’s multi-party democratic space, insisting that Nigerians deserve access to diverse political alternatives ahead of the 2027 elections.
“It is too late for anyone to use the judiciary to derail or narrow Nigeria’s democratic space. Political parties and candidates should be allowed to participate freely in the electoral process.
“If the Peace Movement Party felt affected by the earlier judgment, its proper option was to appeal. The window for such an appeal has long closed, making any such action statute-barred. To attempt to overturn that judgment through a motion is not only unheard of but also an abuse of court process,” he argued.
Zuwoghe thanked Nigerians, party members and supporters for their continued confidence in the NDC and expressed optimism that the appellate court would overturn the ruling.
“We assure all our members, supporters and candidates that our platform is strong, legal and intact. Justice will be served, and the NDC will continue its mission of providing Nigerians with a credible political alternative,” he said.
