The High Court of Justice in Kogi State has denied reports circulating on social media alleging that it ordered the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing the claims as false and misleading.
In a statement issued in Lokoja by the court’s Chief Information Officer, Saqeeb Saeed, the judiciary clarified that the Kogi State High Court neither heard nor determined any case relating to the registration or deregistration of the NDC or any other political party. The court stressed that the viral publication, which featured photographs of the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Josiah Majebi, and former Governor Yahaya Bello, falsely created the impression that the alleged ruling originated from the state High Court.
According to the statement, the judiciary considered it necessary to publicly correct the misinformation because it had the potential to undermine public confidence in the courts and damage the integrity of the judiciary.
The court urged members of the public, particularly social media users and content creators, to verify information before publication and warned that the spread of false reports capable of tarnishing the image of judges and the courts would no longer be tolerated.
The clarification comes amid widespread public confusion following a separate ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, not the Kogi State High Court.
On June 26, 2026, Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court set aside an earlier December 2025 judgment that had compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party. The court held that the earlier judgment affected the rights of the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo relied upon in the original case but had not been joined as a party to the proceedings.
Following that judgment, numerous social media posts incorrectly attributed the decision to the Kogi State High Court, prompting the state judiciary’s official rebuttal.
NDC rejects ruling, files appeal
The NDC has rejected the Federal High Court’s decision, insisting that it has not been deregistered and remains a legally recognized political party pending the outcome of its appeal.
Party officials have directed their legal team to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the judgment merely set aside the earlier registration order and did not amount to a final deregistration of the party. The party has also maintained that its activities and preparations for the 2027 general elections will continue while the appellate process is underway.
The controversy comes as several election-related cases remain before appellate courts. In a separate matter, the Court of Appeal has stayed proceedings and is hearing appeals concerning the deregistration of five other opposition political parties—ADC, APP, AA, Accord Party and ZLP—highlighting the broader legal disputes surrounding political party recognition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Current status: As of now, the Kogi State High Court maintains that it issued no order concerning the NDC’s registration or deregistration. The legal dispute over the NDC’s status remains before the appellate courts following the Federal High Court’s June 2026 ruling.