Court speaks on de-registering NDC
The Kogi State High Court has denied claims circulating on social media that it ordered the deregistration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), describing the report as false and misleading.
The court said it never heard or decided any case involving the registration or deregistration of the NDC or any other political party in Nigeria.
The clarification was made in a statement issued in Lokoja by the court’s Chief Information Officer, Saqeeb Saeed.
According to the statement, the false publication was shared alongside photographs of the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Josiah Majebi, and former Governor Yahaya Bello, creating the wrong impression that the alleged ruling came from the state High Court.
The court explained that although it would not normally react to such online reports, it decided to respond because the publication could mislead the public and damage the image of the judiciary.
It warned that false reports capable of harming the reputation of judges, the High Court of Justice, or courts under its supervision would no longer be accepted.
The court also advised members of the public, especially content creators, to verify information before publishing stories that could misinform people.
The judiciary urged Nigerians to ignore the social media report and assured the public that it would continue to carry out its duties fairly, diligently and without bias.
The clarification comes weeks after Justice Isah Dashen of the Kogi State High Court reportedly set aside an earlier judgment that had deregistered the NDC.
Justice Dashen ruled that every party with an interest in the case must be given the opportunity to present its position before any final decision could be made.
He agreed with an application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), stating that the party should be included in the case because it was directly affected.
The judge held that the earlier judgment delivered in December 2025 was invalid because it was made without hearing all the necessary parties.
He said that failure made the entire process defective.
Justice Dashen also restored the situation to how it was before the December 2025 judgment while the main case continues.
He added that some important facts were not presented during the earlier proceedings, making it necessary to cancel the previous ruling.
The court directed that the substantive suit should begin afresh, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peace Movement Party and the National Democratic Congress all participating in the fresh hearing.
