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 to national levels, held conventions, completed primaries, fielded candidates in bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu, and prepared nominations for all offices ahead of 2027. Nigerians were witnessing the birth of genuine opposition alternatives—precisely what a maturing democracy needs.

Then, out of the woodwork, an unregistered ghost entity called the “Peace Movement Party” (PMP)—not a registered party, not participating in the current process, and clutching a decade-old grievance from 2015—files a mere motion. Not a substantive suit. Not an appeal within the statutory window. And Justice Dashen, astonishingly, grants it locus standi, claims jurisdiction despite the court being *functus officio*, and vacates the prior final judgment. This is legal gymnastics of the highest order—illegal, unprecedented, and a frontal attack on the rule of law.

This ruling reeks of desperation to protect vested interests.

The NDC’s symbol—the victory sign—apparently offends some long-dormant claimants who failed to register years ago. Instead of appealing the original judgment like any serious party would, they sneak in through the back door to derail a process already deep into INEC’s timetable. The court’s claim of “fair hearing” for PMP rings hollow when it tramples on the fair hearing and legitimate expectations of thousands of NDC members, candidates, and supporters who have invested time, resources, and hope. Where was this zeal for joinder when the original suit was heard? Why now, midway through the electoral cycle, when parties have nominated candidates and the nation prepares for 2027?

This is textbook judicial tyranny disguised as due process. By restoring the “status quo ante” and ordering fresh proceedings, Justice Dashen has handed ammunition to forces hell-bent on monopolizing Nigeria’s political space. It is an attempt to disenfranchise millions who see in the NDC a platform for real change—free from the recycled failures of the old order. Nigerians are tired of a democracy where courts are weaponized to eliminate competition, stifle opposition, and narrow choices to the same tired cartels.

The NDC is right to condemn this as an effort to shrink the democratic space. Freedom of association is not a privilege dispensed by judges at whim; it is a fundamental right enshrined in our Constitution. For a court to nullify a registration achieved through due judicial process, on the flimsy motion of an unregistered fringe group, is not only an abuse of process but a threat to the very multi-party system that defines our republic. It smells of political interference, selective justice, and an insidious plot to derail alternatives ahead of 2027.

Enough is enough.

The judiciary must not become the graveyard of democratic aspirations. This Lokoja ruling is a dark stain on the bench—an act of judicial recklessness that prioritizes technicalities over substance, ancient claims over current realities, and elite machinations over the will of the people. It emboldens those who fear genuine competition and exposes the vulnerability of our institutions to capture.

We stand unequivocally with the NDC, its leadership under Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, its candidates, and its teeming supporters. The party’s resolve to appeal to the Court of Appeal is commendable and necessary. Justice will ultimately prevail, as the original judgment was sound, the registration lawful, and the NDC’s activities legitimate. Attempts to use the judiciary as a wrecking ball against opposition voices will fail. Nigeria deserves a robust, inclusive democracy—not one throttled by dubious court orders in Lokoja.

The people are watching. History will judge this ruling harshly as one of the most retrograde attacks on political pluralism in recent times. The democratic space will not be shrunk. The NDC marches on. Victory is inevitable.