“Yes, a number of closed-door meetings have taken place since the Kogi High Court judgment went viral,” a senior official of the Nigeria Democratic Congress told The PUNCH. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
By his account, Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, and national leader Seriake Dickson sat in on Saturday’s closed-door session, along with the party chairman, the national secretary and other leaders. A second emergency meeting followed on Sunday to fine-tune the appeal. “Even as we speak, there is another emergency meeting ongoing ahead of tomorrow’s appeal,” he said.
The appeal targets a Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja, Kogi State, which set aside its own earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC. It came barely 48 hours before the meetings wrapped up. Opposition leaders have condemned it as an effort to weaken challengers ahead of the 2027 general election.
Who will argue the case
The official said the party had not settled on a lead lawyer. “What I only know is that the NDC National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, will play a key role in it,” he said. National Secretary Ikenna Enekweizu confirmed that papers would be filed Monday but would not name the counsel. “By the time we file our processes on Monday, you will know those who are in the team and who the leader is,” he said.
Enekweizu was blunt about the ruling itself. “That ruling has no legal basis. There is no precedent in law that can justify it,” he said, and he promised that every NDC candidate, from Obi down to the House of Assembly level, would be on the ballot.
What the court said
The court held that its earlier judgment had been delivered without hearing every party whose interests were affected, in particular the Peace Movement Party, which claimed ownership of the disputed party logo. It ordered a fresh hearing of the main suit. The effect was to put the parties back where they stood before the December 10, 2025 judgment that recognized the NDC. INEC has said it is waiting for the Certified True Copy before doing anything further.
The NDC has emerged as a major opposition platform after Obi, a former Labour Party presidential candidate, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso defected to it.
Leaders push back
Kwankwaso visited Dickson at his Abuja home on Sunday and posted about it on Facebook. “As true democrats, we remain committed to the rule of law and have absolute confidence in the judicial process,” he wrote. He urged supporters to “stay calm, resolute and focused.”
National Chairman Moses Cleopas said the party had expected trouble. “We are not fools not to have been thinking in that direction,” he said, and he predicted the appeal court would overturn the ruling.
Dickson, speaking on Channels Television, urged candidates not to leave the party. “The NDC has not been deregistered and won’t be deregistered,” he said. Asked whether the party would report Justice Dashen to the National Judicial Council, he said no: the NDC would take its remedies to the appellate courts instead.
Outside the courtroom, the party has begun reaching out to civil society groups, professional bodies and media organizations. A party source said “a series of press conferences and parley with CSOs and pressure groups” are planned in the coming days.
