The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) has filed a notice of appeal against a Federal High Court judgment that set aside its registration, with party officials assuring members that the NDC remains legally recognised pending the outcome of the case.
National Publicity Secretary Osa Director confirmed the development in an interview with The PUNCH, saying the party’s legal team filed the appeal at the Court of Appeal in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Monday and would serve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the relevant court processes shortly. “We succeeded in filing the appeal today. We are going to serve INEC very soon,” he said.
Director pushed back against widespread reports that the party had been deregistered, describing such claims as inaccurate. He said the underlying lawsuit concerned a dispute over the party’s logo rather than its legal existence as a political platform. “The narrative in the media is not even right. The group only challenged the use of our logo in court. That does not mean we are deregistered,” he said, noting that the NDC still appears as a registered party on INEC’s official portal.
The appeal comes after a period of intense internal deliberation, with the party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson, and members of the National Working Committee holding a series of emergency meetings to determine the party’s legal response. A senior party official told The PUNCH that leadership held extended strategy sessions over the weekend before finalising the decision to approach the appellate court.
The dispute traces back to a Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja, which overturned an earlier judgment that had directed INEC to register the NDC. The party has characterised the reversal as a legal setback rather than a final determination of its status, and says it remains committed to overturning the decision through the appeals process. In the meantime, the NDC has sought to reassure its candidates and supporters that its legal standing as a political party remains intact.
