Kogi Court Clarifies It Did Not Deregister NDC

The High Court in Kogi has said a social media report claiming it ordered the deregistration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is false. The court's Chief Information Officer, Saqeeb Saeed, made this clear on Thursday in Lokoja, the state capital.

Saeed stated that the court did not handle or decide any case about the registration or deregistration of the NDC or any other political party in Nigeria. The misleading report included photos of Kogi's Chief Judge, Josiah Majebi, and former Governor, Yahaya Bello.

The court said these photos gave a wrong impression that the supposed decision came from them. The court usually would not respond to such publications but felt it was important to clear things up.

It added that the report could harm the reputation and dignity of the judiciary. The court urged the public, especially those creating content, to check facts before sharing information that could mislead others.

The court warned that spreading false information that could damage the image of judges and the High Court would not be accepted anymore. It called on the public to ignore the misleading social media post and confirmed its dedication to delivering justice fairly and without bias.

This clarification follows a recent ruling by Justice Isah Dashen of the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja. Dashen reportedly overturned his earlier decision that deregistered the NDC. He stated that all parties involved must be heard before any major decision is made.

The court agreed with an application from the Peace Movement Party (PMP), stating that the party needed to be part of the case. According to the judge, the previous ruling was flawed because it was made without listening to all interested parties.

He stated that this mistake made the entire process invalid. Dashen also ordered that the situation should return to what it was before the December 2025 ruling until the main case is resolved.

He pointed out that some important facts were left out in the earlier proceedings, which supported his decision to cancel the judgment. As a result, the court instructed that the main case should start again, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PMP, and the NDC involved.