Pat Stevens/
Legal questions have emerged over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), following fresh claims of irregularities and indications of possible court action by political stakeholders.
Dr Umar Ardo, a leading figure in the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), said legal steps were already underway challenging the process through which the NDC was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He expressed confidence that the matter could ultimately be resolved by the courts.
His comments come amid wider controversy surrounding the circumstances of the party’s emergence, with the ADA alleging procedural irregularities in the registration process.
However, findings by Newsmakerslive.org indicate that court-influenced political party registrations are not without precedent in Nigeria’s electoral history, and fall within the scope of judicial oversight of INEC’s decisions.
One notable example is the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), which secured its registration following a court order after INEC initially declined its application under the leadership of former INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
The Federal High Court directed INEC to comply, leading to the issuance of a registration certificate between 2017 and 2018.
The SPN was later affected by a wider deregistration exercise in 2020, when INEC deregistered 74 political parties, including SPN, for failing to meet constitutional electoral performance thresholds.
That action was grounded in provisions of the Nigerian Constitution relating to party viability and representation.
Legal analysts note that INEC’s decisions on party registration are subject to judicial review, and aggrieved associations may seek redress through the courts within statutory timelines.
This legal framework places the judiciary as an arbiter in disputes arising from administrative decisions by the electoral body.
In the case of the NDC, its registration is understood to have followed judicial intervention after initial regulatory processes, underscoring the role of the courts in resolving disputes between political associations and INEC.
According to further analysis, any legal challenge to the NDC’s registration may also be shaped by procedural considerations, including questions of standing and the appropriate party eligible to appeal or seek review of an existing court order.
The controversy originates from broader complaints raised by ADA, which maintains that out of 171 political associations that expressed interest in registration, only 14 were shortlisted by INEC, with eight progressing to verification stages.
Ardo has alleged that while the ADA complied with all requirements, it was not registered, while questioning how the NDC, which he claims did not advance through the same stages, obtained its certificate.
INEC, however, has maintained that the NDC’s registration was carried out pursuant to a court directive, consistent with established legal processes governing electoral administration.
The dispute is also reportedly linked to earlier concerns raised by INEC regarding similarities between the NDC’s logo and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which some stakeholders say formed part of the background administrative concerns around the registration process.
Legal sources further note that under electoral procedure, only INEC is ordinarily positioned to challenge the registration by approaching the Court of Appeal for enlargement of time within which to file a notice of appeal.
The statutory window for such action reportedly closed in December. However, it may still be reopened through a motion for extension of time, which the court can grant only if INEC demonstrates cogent reasons for its delay, as well as a reasonable prospect that its appeal would succeed.
As of the time of filing this report, no official court documents confirming a fresh filing against the NDC’s registration had been made public.
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