The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has not yet obtained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment that nullified an earlier order directing the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The commission made this known in a statement released on Saturday by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman.
According to INEC, although reports of the Lokoja court decision are already in the public space, the commission will not issue an official reaction until it receives and reviews the certified version of the ruling.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, which set aside an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“However, as of this moment, the Commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the court’s order,” the statement read.
INEC explained that its legal department would study the judgment once the official document is received and then advise the commission accordingly.
“Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.
“Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling, and the public is urged to await the Commission’s formal position on the matter,” Oketola added.
On Friday, Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja overturned the court’s earlier decision delivered on December 10, 2025, which had ordered INEC to register the NDC.
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The judge ruled that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo used in obtaining the registration order but had not been included in the case.
Justice Dashen subsequently directed that all parties be returned to the position they occupied before the December 2025 judgment and ordered that the substantive case be reopened with all relevant parties joined.
The NDC has rejected the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the appellate court.
Its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, argued that the party remains validly registered and maintained that the trial court lacked authority to revisit a matter after delivering a final judgment.
The development has also drawn reactions from opposition figures, including Peter Obi, the NDC’s presidential candidate, alongside Senator Henry Dickson and other party stakeholders, who criticised the ruling and pledged to pursue legal remedies.
For now, INEC says it will wait for the certified court documents before making any official decision on the matter.