Court ruling on NDC registration a threat to democracy — PDP

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tanimu Turaki has criticised the recent Federal High Court judgment that set aside an earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party as a threat to democracy.

In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the faction said it was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment but expressed concern over what it described as the shrinking of Nigeria’s democratic space.

The reaction followed a ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which vacated its earlier judgment directing INEC to register the NDC. Delivering the judgment, Justice Isah Dashen held that the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the logo used in securing the earlier court order, was a necessary party to the suit and should have been heard before the decision was reached.

The court consequently set aside the previous judgment and ordered that all relevant parties be joined before the substantive matter proceeds.

Reacting to the development, the PDP faction argued that the ruling could undermine multiparty democracy and discourage political participation. The group maintained that many Nigerians had already committed resources and aspirations to the NDC platform and warned that the decision could negatively affect democratic inclusion.

The faction also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government of fostering an environment unfavourable to opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections, a claim the government has not responded to.

While urging calm, the PDP faction called on the leadership of the NDC to challenge the judgment through legal means and continue engaging Nigerians in the pursuit of what it described as democratic consolidation and political pluralism in the country.