A Judicial Coup Against Democracy: The Shameful Lokoja Ruling Must Be Condemned in the Strongest Terms
By Victor Monday Olajide 26/6/26 The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, under Justice Isah Dashen, has today delivered a brazen assault on Nigeria’s democratic foundations. In a ruling dripping with procedural sophistry and political undertones, the court has effectively attempted to strangulate a vibrant new voice in our multi-party system—the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—by setting aside its own earlier judgment that compelled INEC to register the party. This is not justice; it is judicial overreach, a dangerous subversion of constitutional rights, and a calculated move to shrink the democratic space at the behest of shadowy interests. Let us call this what it is: an outrageous abuse of court process. After the NDC, invoking the sacred constitutional guarantee of freedom of association, successfully fought INEC’s arbitrary refusal and secured registration in December 2025, the party hit the ground running. It mobilized members, conducted congresses from ward ...