Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has nullified its earlier judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, ordering that the matter be heard afresh.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen held that the previous judgment was fundamentally flawed because it was issued without hearing all parties whose interests were directly affected by the case.

The court upheld an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), agreeing that the party was a necessary party to the suit and should have been joined before any substantive decision was reached.

Justice Dashen ruled that the omission violated constitutional principles of fair hearing, rendering the earlier judgment null and void. He consequently ordered that the status quo be restored to what it was before the court’s December 10, 2025 judgment.

The judge also noted that some material facts were not disclosed during the earlier proceedings, a development he said further justified setting aside the judgment.

As a result, the court directed that the substantive suit begin afresh, with INEC, the PMP and the NDC joined as parties to the case.

Speaking with journalists after the ruling, counsel to the PMP, Chikezie Ekeocha, said the party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was linked to a logo it had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.

According to him, the court found that the PMP’s rights may have been adversely affected and therefore vacated the earlier judgment.

“The court has ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of December 10, 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined,” Ekeocha said.

He explained that the ruling effectively reverses every action taken by INEC in compliance with the now-vacated judgment.

“The recognition of the NDC, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgment must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” he stated.

Ekeocha, however, stressed that the substantive case remains unresolved, noting that the court has yet to make a final determination on the merits of the dispute.

“The matter has not been concluded. The court merely set aside its previous judgment and directed that the party whose interests were affected be joined so that all sides can be heard before a fresh decision is reached,” he added.

He also dismissed claims that the court only ordered parties to maintain the status quo, insisting that the ruling specifically restored the situation to what existed before the December 2025 judgment.

The decision effectively reopens the legal battle over the registration of the NDC, with all parties now expected to return to court for a fresh hearing before a new ruling is delivered.