PDP Reacts to Court Order Directing INEC to Deregister NDC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the reported Federal High Court order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the National Democratic Party (NDC), describing the development as a setback for democracy and multiparty politics in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said it had only seen media reports of the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja and was awaiting the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling.

"We have read media reports of the order of the Federal High Court, sitting in Lokoja, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the National Democratic Party (NDC)," the statement read.

The PDP argued that the reported order would further shrink Nigeria's democratic space, especially after many Nigerians had invested resources to contest elective positions on the platform of the NDC.

"This order is not only an asphyxiation of multiparty democracy in Nigeria but also an economic crime against Nigerians who invested in the party," the party stated.

The opposition party also linked the development to what it described as the political agenda of the APC-led Federal Government ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement, "This situation, though activated through the court, fits neatly into the playbook of the APC-led Federal Government, which appears unwilling to allow the survival of a genuine opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections, in order to pave the way for the President's unchallenged re-election."

The PDP further alleged that recent political developments under the current administration reflected "a disdain for fair political competition."

The party urged the leadership of the NDC to challenge the court order through legal means.

"The leadership of the genuine Peoples Democratic Party urges the leadership of the NDC to vigorously challenge this order within the ambit of the law while seeking the support of the Nigerian people in the struggle for democratic consolidation," the statement added.

It also called on the Federal Government to take steps to lower political tensions across the country.

"The Federal Government must take practical steps to reduce the political temperature of the country in the interest of peace, stability, and the preservation of democracy," the statement concluded.

The statement was signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, and dated June 26, 2026.