The move by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has hit a snag as Dr. Umar Ardo, promoter of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), has vowed to challenge the NDC’s registration in court.
Ardo is accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of irregularities, claiming the party was registered without meeting constitutional requirements or the Electoral Act.
Ardo alleged that the NDC only submitted a letter of intent and bypassed the official portal and mandatory document submissions.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress obtained registration without a proper application. It did not meet the requirements set by the law, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or INEC guidelines,” Ardo stated.
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He expressed frustration over the speed of the NDC’s legal success compared to his own group’s struggle, noting, “Within 32 days of filing its case, the NDC secured judgment. Our own case has been in court for five months without a ruling. This kind of inconsistency brings instability and undermines peace in the country.”
He also pointed out a specific detail on the commission’s site: “Even on INEC’s website, the party’s leadership is listed as having emerged by court order. Yet, at the time of the ruling, no names were submitted. The names were only provided after registration.”
NDC founder and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, dismissed these claims as sponsored propaganda. He explained that the NDC was one of only two associations granted registration in early 2026.
Dickson stated, “INEC registered new political parties following the lifting of the ban on the creation of new parties.”
He added that the chairman revealed only two applicants were successful: “the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the NDC, which was registered in compliance with a court order.”
Dickson argued that the process was fully legal and that Ardo has no grounds to intervene.
“We wrote to INEC notifying them of our intention to sue, and we went to court over this unlawful exclusion and upon this, the court enforced our rights to freedom of association, deemed us registered and directed INEC to register us, which they have implemented,” he said.
He concluded by asserting that the matter is settled: “No individual or group has the legal standing to contest the registration of a political party after a court judgment has been duly obeyed and implemented by INEC.”
