NDC Registration Faces Court Challenge as Obi, Kwankwaso’s 2027 Platform Comes Under Fire

The Nigerian Democratic Congress — the party Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso adopted for their 2027 presidential run — was registered by INEC through a court order, not a standard application. Now a prominent opposition figure is heading to court to challenge that registration, and depending on how it goes, it could blow up the entire project.

How the NDC got registered

INEC’s own portal lists the NDC’s national executives with “court order” annotations against their names. Party chairman Senator Seriake Dickson confirmed the circumstances weeks ago: “The court upheld our fundamental right to freedom of association, deemed us duly registered, and directed INEC to formalise our status.” He added that INEC complied, issued the certificate of registration, and that no appeal was filed in time.

The NDC’s registration history goes back to 2017, when INEC rejected its first application over concerns that its logo looked too similar to another party’s. A court eventually resolved the dispute in the NDC’s favour.

Ardo heads to court

Dr. Umar Ardo, a leading promoter of the All Democratic Alliance, isn’t satisfied with that story. On Trust TV, he argued the NDC obtained registration without going through INEC’s official screening and application process. “The Nigerian Democratic Congress obtained registration without properly applying. It did not meet the requirements set by law or INEC guidelines. It is clearly irregular, and we will challenge it in court,” he said.

Ardo claims the ADA had cleared every hurdle — fees paid, documents submitted, ready for the next verification stage — yet was denied registration while the NDC was waved through via court order. He also questioned the judgment itself, saying both INEC and the judiciary need to account for the inconsistency.

What’s at stake

If Ardo wins, the fallout would be severe. Seventeen House of Representatives members defected to the NDC from the ADC on Tuesday alone. A ruling that voids the NDC’s registration would leave all of them without a valid party — a political nightmare heading into 2027. Senator Dickson has already called the lawsuit “unlawful” and says the NDC will fight it.

Sources: BusinessDay, The Citizen Nigeria, Legit.ng, PRNigeria