A political association, All Democratic Alliance (ADA), together with its Protem Director of Mobilization, Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi, has instituted a legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The plaintiffs are seeking a court order compelling the electoral body to cancel the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party in Nigeria.
The lawsuit, filed on June 2, 2026, alleges that the NDC, led by Senator Seriake Dickson, was registered illegally and fraudulently. The plaintiffs accuse INEC of deliberately ignoring and violating relevant laws during the secret registration process. They claim the electoral body failed to comply with sections 1, 6, 13, 14, 222, and 251 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as sections 75 and 79 of the Electoral Act.
In their originating summons, the plaintiffs argue that the NDC did not meet any of the constitutional requirements for registration as a political party. They assert that INEC does not have unrestricted discretion to register parties and must adhere strictly to legal provisions. The suit is supported by a 25-paragraph affidavit sworn to by the first plaintiff, Hon. Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi.
The plaintiffs are requesting the court to void, set aside, and revoke the certificate of registration held by the NDC. They also seek a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from recognizing or maintaining the NDC in its records, and from presenting any person as a candidate under the party’s banner in any election. Additionally, they seek an order restraining the NDC from holding itself out as a registered political party through any medium.
The case, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1115/2026, lists INEC and the Nigeria Democratic Congress as the first and second defendants, respectively. No hearing date has been set yet for the suit.