Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi, a chieftain of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), a political association, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
The NDC was listed as the second respondent in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1115/2026, filed at the federal high court in Abuja on June 2, 2026.
In the suit, Karlahi, a director of the association, asked the court to determine whether INEC is “under obligation to ensure compliance, obedience and mandatory adherence to the constitutional provisions, statutes and guidelines guiding the process of registration of new political parties entitled to participate in the 2027 political activities including general elections in Nigeria”.
He also asked the court to determine whether INEC has not “gravely failed” to ensure compliance and enforcement of the provisions of the constitution and electoral act when it registered NDC as a political party in “total disregard, neglect and without compliance and outright disobedience to these provisions”.
“WHETHER in the face of the aforesaid violation of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Regulations of the 1st Defendant (INEC) and the unconstitutionality of registering the 2nd defendant as a political party in Nigeria, the Honourable Court would be acting judicially and judiciously to interrogate the validity of the executive and administrative action and decision of the 1st Defendant in the circumstances by directing the 1st Defendant to forthwith protect, preserve and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties Registration, 2022 as Nigeria, 1999 as Amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 and the INEC regard the registration of the 2nd Defendant as a political party in Nigeria?,” part of the court documents reads.
Karlahi prayed that the court should declare the registration of NDC as a political party as “unconstitutional, wrongful, null, and void” over “non-compliance” with provisions of the 1999 constitution and electoral act.
“AN ORDER that the 2nd Defendant do deliver up the purported Certificate of Registration as a political party in Nigeria issued by the 1st Defendant for the Certificate to be set aside, cancelled, revoked, rescinded and/or withdrawn forthwith,” the document reads.
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1st Defendant from further recognising, accepting, maintaining in its records or presenting to any person or authority the 2nd Defendant as a political party in Nigeria for any political activities exclusively reserved for political parties lawfully registered in Nigeria
“AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 2nd Defendant through its officers, members, agent, privies, or any person deriving authority or power from it from parading, introducing, presenting or call itself a registered political party in Nigeria either by any publication, broadcast or through any media whether social or traditional as political party in Nigeria.”
In a statement released after filing the suit, Karlahi said the NDC was not listed among the prequalified associations for formal application in the 2025 political parties registration exercise.
The ADA chieftain alleged that NDC “bypassed every mandatory step in the registration process”.
BACKGROUND
In September 2025, INEC said 14 associations were cleared for party registration, but the NDC was not on the list.
On October 30, 2025, the commission said eight of the 14 pre-qualified associations successfully uploaded all required information and documentation for the next stage of registration.
Those that made the cut were All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
NEC chairman, said that “only two” out of the eight were “qualified for the final assessment and verification of due compliance with the constitution and the Electoral Act”.
Amupitan said only the DLA met all legal requirements after the final review and was registered by the commission.
However, the NDC was later registered by the commission, despite not being part of the pre-qualified associations.
According to Amupitan, the move followed a subsisting court order.
However, Umar Ardo, a chieftain of ADA, alleged that INEC deviated from its procedures in the registration of NDC.
In May, Ardo said the association would appeal the judgment of the federal high court sitting in Lokoja which ordered the INEC to register NDC.
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