The registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has remained a subject of scrutiny following legal and procedural questions raised by stakeholders.
The issue gained attention after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) excluded the party from its initial list of qualified associations.
In September 2025, INEC disclosed that 14 associations met the requirements for further consideration out of over 100 applications received earlier that year.
The commission explained that the screening process was guided by constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act, alongside its internal regulations.
However, the NDC was not listed among the associations that advanced through the early stages of evaluation.
By October 2025, only eight associations successfully progressed after submitting required documentation for verification.
Further review by the commission reduced the number, with only one association meeting the final criteria for full registration.
COURT ORDER AND REGISTRATION
Despite not appearing in the earlier stages, the NDC was later registered following a directive from a federal high court.
The chairman of INEC, Joash Amupitan, said the commission acted in compliance with the subsisting court order.
He stated, “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.”
He added, “The commission has decided to comply with the order, and it is being registered as a political party. Certificate of registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course.”
DISPUTE OVER PROCESS
Concerns were later raised by Umar Ardo, a chieftain of the All Democratic Alliance, who questioned the process leading to the registration.
He argued that the NDC was not part of the official screening stages conducted by the electoral body.
Umar Ardo said, “NDC did not apply or participate in the registration process. The party was nowhere.”
He added, “So, how can it go to obtain a court order? What documents did it present before the Lokoja Federal High Court to secure that order?”
He further said, “For instance, let’s say Daily Trust advertises a contract. People submit expressions of interest, some are shortlisted, and then they proceed to formal bidding.”
He continued, “But you, who did not participate or involved at any stage, then go to court and ask that the contract be awarded to you. What documents would you present to justify such a claim? We will have to find out what papers were submitted in this case.”
He also stated, “I was part of the process from the beginning. I know those who participated. I know the 14 associations that were initially listed. We even formed an association, and I was appointed as the coordinator.”
He concluded, “Out of the 14, eight made it to the INEC portal. These were the ones INEC went on to verify, inspecting their offices, confirming their executives, and reviewing the documents they submitted. But NDC was not among them. I do not know how it happened.”
COUNTER POSITION FROM NDC
In response, officials of the NDC provided a different account of the registration process.
The national secretary of the party, Ikenna Enekweizu, said the application dated back several years before the recent registration window.
He explained that earlier attempts were declined due to issues relating to the party’s logo.
The senator representing Bayelsa west, Seriake Dickson, also supported this position in a public statement.
The senator, Seriake Dickson, said, “The truth about NDC is in the public domain: The application commenced in 2017, when Dr. Ardo wasn’t even dreaming of registering a political party. The process stalled because INEC, under Dr. Mahmood Yakubu, halted the registration of political parties.”
He added, “However, last year when INEC lifted the embargo on registration of political parties, we revived our application and were subsequently listed alongside the 171 political associations.”
He further said, “We wrote to INEC notifying them of our intention to sue, and we went to court over this unlawful exclusion, and upon this, the court enforced our rights to freedom of association, deemed us registered and directed INEC to register us, which they have implemented.”
RELATED LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
A separate court ruling also directed INEC to register the National Democratic Party after it met constitutional and legal requirements.
Checks on the commission’s records show that both NDC and NDP are now listed as registered parties, with their status linked to court decisions.
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS
The development has attracted further attention following the movement of political figures into the NDC.
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are among those reported to have joined the party.
Their involvement has added to the visibility of the NDC within Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
The situation continues to reflect the intersection of legal processes and political developments in party formation and recognition.
