NDC Leader Ex-Gov Dickson Reacts As Appeal Court Affirms Peter Obi Party’s Registration
After the split judgement of 2-1 by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the party, has reacted to the nullification of the judgement of the Federal High Court in Lokoja that ordered the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
NDC has opposition leader and former Anambra State’s Governor Peter Obi as its Presidential Candidate with former Kano State’s Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his Running Mate
The appellate court on Friday ruled that the judgement of the lower court on the case was faulty.
While Justices Mohammed Danjuma (Presiding Justice) and Muslim Sule Hassan affirmed the registration of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Justice Okon Abang JCA dissented in a minority ruling to keep NDC deregistered.
In June, a Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgement which compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register NDC as a political party.
The Lokoja, Kogi State, judgement stemmed from an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it had a legal interest in the case and should have been joined as a party before the court delivered its ruling.
Reacting to the Appeal Court judgement, Dickson wrote:
“Fellow Party Members and Nigerians,
“Today, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, delivered by Justice Isah Dashen a few months ago, which purported to order the deregistration of our party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“In a judgment delivered by the presiding Justice, Justice Mohammed Danjuma and read by Justice Hassan, the Court ruled in favour of allowing our appeal, which challenged the faulty ruling of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, and accordingly, set aside Justice Dashen’s judgment.
“We want to use this opportunity once again to commend the Nigerian judiciary, and in particular, Hon. Justice Danjuma and Hon. Justice Hassan, for upholding the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and, by their decisions, expanding the sphere of multiparty democratic participation in Nigeria.
“We have said repeatedly that the NDC was set up to expand the frontier of multiparty democracy in Nigeria. Justice Dashen’s judgment a few months ago was an unexpected assault on our constitutional right to participate and an attempt to narrow the democratic space.
“Happily, today, by the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Nigerian democratic space has been protected, and the NDC’s right to participate in all political activities as a registered political party has been upheld.
“I congratulate all members and candidates of our great party, the NDC, and thank Nigerians for their prayers and support.
“When the unexpected judgment of the Lokoja Federal High Court was delivered, we were bombarded with several calls for sympathy, support and prayers. Today, our collective prayers have been answered.
“The NDC continues to exist. Our registration remains valid and subsisting, and we and all our candidates will participate in all elections in 2027 and beyond, by the grace of God.
“Everyone should now focus on the campaigns, prepare for the elections, and focus on the task ahead to face the APC and defeat them at the polls.
“A resort to arm-twisting, inducing or intimidating the judiciary will not work. We remain confident in the strength of our message, the commitment of our members, the viability of our candidates, and the support of Nigerians. With this conviction, we look forward to the forthcoming elections and are confident that the NDC will emerge victorious at the polls, by the grace of God.
“The fight for Nigeria’s multiparty democracy continues and by the grace of God we will emerge victorious.”
