Court Verdict Does Not Invalidate NDC Candidates, Seriake Dickson Says

National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has assured the party's candidates that their nominations for the 2027 general election remain valid despite a recent Federal High Court ruling that set aside an earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the party.

Speaking on Channels Television's Sunday Politics, Dickson urged party members and supporters to remain calm, insisting that the NDC remains a legally recognised political platform while it challenges the court decision.

"I want to thank all Nigerians for their support, solidarity and prayers. Since Friday, thousands of Nigerians have been flocking to our website to register. They now know more about our party, they sympathise with our party and our candidates, and they are buying into our vision," he said.

Dickson rejected suggestions that the court ruling amounted to the deregistration of the party.

"To be clear, the NDC has not been deregistered," he said.

According to him, the party successfully conducted primary elections nationwide under the supervision of INEC and produced candidates for all elective positions, including state Houses of Assembly, the House of Representatives, the Senate, governorships and the presidency.

"The NDC has validly nominated candidates for all elective offices in primaries monitored nationwide by INEC. From the House of Assembly, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the governorship and our presidential candidate, who has also nominated a running mate. I am also a senatorial candidate of the party," Dickson stated.

He argued that the emergence of candidates through party primaries is the legally significant stage of the electoral process, while submitting candidates names to INEC is largely an administrative procedure.

"All nominations have been validly carried out and monitored by INEC in accordance with the timeframe given by INEC. By the laws of this country, nominations are done at the primaries that take place at various levels; the submission to INEC is an administrative procedure," he said.

Dickson maintained that the recent judgment neither dissolved the party nor invalidated the candidates who emerged from its primaries.

The reassurance followed a ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which set aside its December 10, 2025 judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party.

Justice Isah Dashen held that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was not joined as a party in the original suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon in securing the registration order.

Counsel to the applicant, C. S. Ekeocha, said the PMP approached the court after discovering that the NDC's registration was allegedly based on a logo the party had earlier submitted to INEC before the commencement of the suit.

According to the lawyer, the court agreed that the applicant's interests had been affected and consequently vacated the earlier judgment.

The NDC has maintained that it will challenge the ruling through the appellate courts while insisting that its candidates remain validly nominated for the 2027 elections.