Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the National Democratic Party (NDP) as a recognized political party in Nigeria.
The ruling came in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2796/2025, filed by Ada Frederick Okwori, the NDP National Chairman, and three others. The court found that the plaintiffs had satisfied all legal requirements under Sections 222–224 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 75 and 79 of the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Delivering judgment on February 16, 2026, Justice Umar confirmed that the NDP had met the conditions necessary for registration and that INEC was legally obligated to recognize the party.
The court also nullified a previous INEC letter dated December 18, 2025, which had rejected the NDP’s registration request. INEC is now mandated to register the party immediately, issue a certificate of registration, and grant it the full rights and privileges of a registered political party. If the commission fails to register the party, the NDP will be deemed officially registered under Section 75(4) of the Electoral Act 2022.
With this judgment, Nigeria now has 22 registered political parties, following the earlier approval of two new parties by INEC in February 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
