By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
A legal battle that could reshape Nigeria’s party landscape ahead of 2027 is underway at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Protem Director of Organisation for All Democratic Alliance, Ahidjo Karlahi, has sued the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to deregister NDC for allegedly bypassing constitutional registration requirements. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1115/2026, comes as NDC itself battles internal crisis in Benue with the suspension of House of Representatives aspirant William Adoyi Enenche. The case now poses hard questions about electoral integrity, INEC’s processes, and what “legally recognised” really means.
Karlahi filed the originating summons last Tuesday before Justice Mohammed Umar, assigned by Chief Judge Justice Tsoho. ADA, though not yet a registered party, is acting through its protem director as a citizen suit aimed at testing the legality of NDC’s existence.
The core allegation is procedural bypass. Karlahi contends NDC failed Sections 221-225A of the 1999 Constitution and Sections 75 and 79 of the Electoral Act 2022, the legal bedrock for political party registration.
Specifically, he claims NDC was not listed among prequalified associations for the 2025 registration exercise. Prequalification is INEC’s first filter before any group gets access codes and the EC15A form.
He further alleges NDC did not pay the mandatory N2,000,000 administrative fee and never received access codes to INEC’s Application Portal. Without the codes, no association can fill Form EC15A online.
The suit insists NDC did not access INEC’s dedicated Political Party Registration Portal — “the only way to fill Form EC15A.” If true, it means NDC skipped the only valid entry point for formal application.
Karlahi argues this is not speculation but “matters of public record,” pointing to INEC’s published list of pre-qualified associations that applied in 2025. NDC, he says, was absent.
The reliefs sought are sweeping: a declaration that NDC’s registration is unconstitutional, illegal and void; an order setting aside its Certificate of Registration; and an injunction restraining INEC from dealing with NDC as a political party.
ADA’s position is framed as civic, not partisan. Karlahi insists the suit is instituted “solely by me as a citizen to advance constitutionalism, the rule of law and electoral integrity,” not on behalf of ADA.
That framing matters. Nigerian courts have allowed citizen suits on constitutional compliance, but plaintiffs must still show locus standi. Karlahi’s argument rests on protecting the democratic process itself.
NDC founder and national leader Seriake Dickson has pushed back. At the party’s maiden convention in Abuja, he declared there is “no pending litigation or appeal challenging the party’s registration,” insisting NDC is legally recognised and united for 2027.
Dickson’s statement creates a factual dispute the court must resolve: INEC’s records versus NDC’s claim. INEC, joined as 1st defendant, will be forced to produce registration files and portal logs.
The constitutional stakes are high. Sections 221-225A mandate that parties be registered by INEC after meeting conditions on structure, membership spread, and offices. The Electoral Act 2022 added stricter digital requirements.
If Karlahi proves NDC never completed EC15A, the court faces a dilemma: deregister a party that has already held conventions, fielded aspirants, and mobilized structures. Deregistration would disrupt 2027 calculations.
INEC’s credibility is equally on trial. The commission deregistered over 70 parties in 2023 for non-performance. Now it must defend how NDC got registered if it skipped mandatory steps.
The timing is political. With 2027 campaigns approaching, new parties are seeking space. ADA’s suit could be read as gatekeeping by one unregistered association against a rival. Karlahi denies any “ulterior political motive.”
But motive and merit are separate. Courts will focus on documents: INEC’s prequalification list, payment receipts, portal access logs, and EC15A submission. Those records will decide more than press statements.
Parallel to the lawsuit, NDC faces internal disciplinary trouble. Benue State Working Committee ratified the suspension of William Adoyi Enenche, a House of Representatives aspirant from Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu.
The state chairman, Mr. Ohini Ojegbe, said Enenche’s ward executives suspended him first, citing anti-party activities, alleged criminal extortion of money from fellow aspirants, and unlawful conduct of primaries in Agboriko ward.
The Benue SWC examined petitions at the state secretariat and resolved to ratify indefinite suspension. Enenche was also reportedly arrested by an Abuja police division over extortion claims.
NDC directed Enenche to stop parading himself as a member or representative. Internal discipline is normal, but the timing — amid a deregistration suit — gives opponents ammunition about NDC’s internal coherence.
Dickson’s claim that NDC is “united ahead of 2027” now competes with Benue’s public suspension. Courts will not rule on internal discipline, but perception matters for voter confidence.
Karlahi has called on Nigerians to view the case as “not a partisan squabble, but as a test of whether our constitutional order will be respected or eroded.” That appeal frames ADA as defender of process, not rival for power.
The suit was adjourned to next Tuesday for definite hearing. At that hearing, INEC will likely file a counter-affidavit, and Justice Umar will decide on preliminary objections and evidence.
Legal analysts note two possible outcomes: if ADA wins, NDC faces deregistration and its candidates lose platform for 2027; if NDC/INEC prove compliance, ADA’s suit fails and NDC’s legal status is judicially affirmed.
Either way, the case forces a national conversation: registration cannot be administrative discretion alone. It must be traceable, digital, and verifiable. For 2027, voters and new parties are watching to see if Nigeria’s democracy protects process as fiercely as it protects outcomes.
