BREAKING: Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Ticket Jams Wahala As Court Orders INEC To Deregister Their NDC
A Federal High Court in Lokoja today Friday threw spanners into the 2027 joint ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso by cancelling an earlier judgement that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to register their Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The decision was delivered by the presiding Judge, Justice Isah Dashen on Friday.
By today’s judgement, the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, has set aside its earlier pronouncement ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register NDC as a political party.
Peter Obi is the NDC Presidential Candidate, with Alhaji Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso as his Running Mate Senator Seriake Dickson as its National Leader.
Justice Isah Dashen, who delivered the ruling today Friday, June 26, 2026, held that the court’s December 10, 2025 judgement adversely affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not joined as a party in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon in obtaining the judgement.
The Peace Movement Party approached the court after discovering that the NDC’s registration was based on a logo it had previously submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.
Justice Dashen ruled that the earlier judgement was constitutionally defective as it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties, rendering the entire process null and void.
The court ordered that all parties return to the position they occupied before the December 10, 2025 judgement and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute were effectually and completely determined.
Counsel to the applicant, C.S. Ekeocha, explained that the implication of the ruling is that every action taken by INEC in compliance with the now-vacated judgement stood reversed.
“The recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the issuance of its certificate of registration, its inclusion in INEC’s records, and any appearance on ballot papers arising from that judgement must be withdrawn pending the final determination of the substantive suit,” Ekeocha stated.
He, however, clarified that the substantive case had not been concluded and the court only set aside its previous judgement because a party whose interest was affected was not heard before the decision was delivered.
“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 said.
