Registration: Dickson kicks as Ardo vows court action, faults INEC on NDC 

By Dayo Johnson, Regional Editor, South-West, Clifford Ndujihe, Henry Umoru, Luminous Jannamike, Ochuko Akuopha & Edwin Philip

LAGOS — National leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, yesterday urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as propaganda surrounding the party’s registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The former Bayelsa State governor defended the legitimacy of the party’s registration, dismissing allegations of irregularities and insisting the process followed due procedure.

In a post on X, the senator representing Bayelsa West said NDC’s formation dated back to 2017, contrary to claims that it was recently registered without meeting legal requirements.

His remarks come amid threats by a promoter of the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, Dr. Umar Ardo, to challenge the registration of the NDC in court over alleged procedural breaches.

This happened on a day the party said it had registered 10 million members less than 48 hours after former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; former governor of Kano State, Senator Musa Kwankwaso, and some African Democratic Congress, ADC, leaders joined it on Sunday evening.

The NDC held its state congresses yesterday and elected state executive committees as the ADC and the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar denied alliance talks with it.

Dickson maintained that the NDC’s emergence was the product of a long-standing process, adding that documentation existed to support its claims.

“For the record, the annexures show that we initiated the registration process for the NDC as far back as 2017, and that INEC granted approval at that time before the process was halted. When party registration resumed last year, we revisited and updated our earlier application,” he said.

He noted that the party was conceived as an ideological platform designed to endure beyond its founders and contribute to national development.

“Our goal in the NDC is to build an ideological political party that can endure beyond its founders for generations to come,” Dickson said.

The former governor also said the party placed strong emphasis on youth and women participation, describing it as a platform focused on inclusion, mentorship and service.

He added that the NDC had continued to attract support across the country, driven by what he described as a convergence of experienced political actors with grassroots influence.

“What we are witnessing is a powerful convergence… leaders across the country coming together under one platform,” he said.

While acknowledging that political initiatives often attracted criticism, Dickson urged Nigerians to remain focused and not be distracted.

“With my experience in politics, I am fully aware that an ambitious project of this nature will attract distractions—rumours, gossip, propaganda and even blackmail. I therefore urge Nigerians to ignore such propaganda,” he said.

He called on Nigerians to join the party, register and participate in the political process.

Ardo’s threat

A leading promoter of ADA, Dr. Umar Ardo, however,  raised fresh concerns over alleged irregularities in the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, yesterday, vowing to challenge the process in court.

ADA is one of the 171 political associations that applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for registration as political parties.

During the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja in February, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed that the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) was registered as the only association out of the 171 associations seeking registration as political parties, and that the NDC was registered in obedience to a court order.

He said the associations were assessed in line with Sections 222 and 223 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Sections 75 and 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

However, during an appearance on Trust TV, Ardo accused INEC of deviating from its procedures by registering a political party he said did not undergo the official screening process.

But in a statement, the NDC, through its National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, described Ardo’s claim as mischievous and misleading.

Recall that Peter Obi, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, formally joined the NDC after dumping ADC.

The two politicians were officially registered as members of the party on Sunday at its national secretariat in Abuja, where they were issued membership cards.

In a recent interview with DCL Hausa, Ardo insisted that the registration of the NDC was marred with irregularities, vowing to escalate the situation to court.

“The Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, obtained registration without properly applying. It did not meet the requirements set by the law, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or INEC guidelines. It is clearly irregular. If there is any other party that failed to meet the requirements but was registered, I will challenge it in court.

“As for ADA, we formally applied for registration with INEC. We met all the stipulated requirements and paid the necessary fees. On September 10, 2025, INEC wrote to us confirming that we had met the conditions and qualified for the next stage, which involved presenting our executives, their credentials, and other supporting documents for verification before final registration. We complied fully. However, we were suddenly denied registration, along with 13 other groups. We immediately went to court.

“In February, 2026, INEC announced that it had registered two parties. One, they said, was registered independently by the commission, while the other was registered following a court order. We have no issue with their independent decision. But regarding the party they claimed was registered by court order, the NDC, it is troubling.

“Apart from submitting a letter of intent, the NDC did not file a formal application, was not shortlisted, did not use the INEC registration portal, and did not submit key documents such as its constitution, manifesto, or executive membership list as required by law and guidelines. Yet, the court ordered its registration. We cannot accept that.” he said.

He added that they would seek legal redress and ensure that justice is served.

“We are appealing the process. The NDC did not present the required documents before the court, yet judgment was given in its favour. We initially dragged INEC to court and will now proceed on appeal.”

“We may not yet be a registered party, but we have a legitimate interest. We followed due process and were denied, while another group that did not comply was registered. Within 32 days of filing its case, the NDC secured judgment. Our own case has been in court for five months without a ruling. This kind of inconsistency brings instability and undermines peace in the country.

“INEC did not appeal the judgment. Instead, it went ahead to register the NDC and issued it a certificate. Even on INEC’s website, the party’s leadership is listed as having emerged by court order. Yet, at the time of the ruling, no names were submitted. The names were only provided after registration.

“We invested heavily in the process. I personally spent about ¦ 200 million and we established offices across the country. Yet, we were denied registration.”

He further noted that INEC, the NDC, and the process that led to the outcome must be questioned, vowing to pursue an appeal involving both INEC and the NDC.

Asked if he was being used by the current administration to destabilise the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections, Ardo claimed that he had a long record of seeking judicial redress, noting that he had been to court 15 times and had taken on past presidents, including Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

“I reject that. I believe the NDC’s emergence raises legitimate concerns. I suspect the party may have been engineered by President Tinubu. How can a group that did not follow due process secure registration and court backing without INEC appealing the decision? I have a track record of challenging those in power and I cannot be manipulated.

“The issue is not about timing. The NDC was registered on February 5, 2025 and I challenged it on September 6, 2025. It has nothing to do with the party attracting prominent figures. The concern is that if a party emerges through a process marred by irregularities, it raises questions about the kind of government it can provide.

“This is not about targeting the NDC alone. If any party was registered without meeting legal requirements, I will challenge it. The NDC is being included because it benefited from what we see as a flawed process. Those considering joining the party should be aware of how it was registered.” he added.

NDC holds state congresses, elects chairmen

Meanwhile, the new found main opposition party held state congresses, yesterday, across the country.

In Delta, Chief Richman Oyindoubra was elected as the state chairman at the congress held in Asaba

Speaking during the congress, Oyindoubra said they would continue to stand by Nigerians to attain victory in the 2027 general elections. Lamenting the economic crisis and challenges Nigerians were currently facing all over the country, Oyindoubra said the NDC was designed to serve the people.

In his remarks, a leader of the party in the State, Mr. Ken Pela, who was the 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Delta, described the NDC as a party with clarity of purpose.

In Ondo, former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Kennedy Peretei, emerged as the pioneer state chairman of the NDC.

Peretei’s emergence followed a consensus at the party’s state congress held in Akure, the state capital.

150 delegates from the 18 Local Government Areas ratified the new executive council.

Chairman of the Congress Committee, Emmanuel Alli, said the exercise was conducted in line with directives from the party’s national headquarters and reflected the collective will of members.

Other elected officers include Oluwole Akinmuyisan, deputy chairman; Babatunde Daudu, secretary; Ayodeji Joy, State woman leader; Samuel Olutosin, organising secretary; and Owolola Adebola, publicity secretary. Asiwaju Bernard and Olutubosun Isijola emerged as Vice Chairmen for South and North, respectively.

In his acceptance speech, Peretei said Nigeria was at a “critical political crossroads” and claimed the NDC was gaining “unprecedented national momentum” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He disclosed that over 10 million Nigerians had registered as members of the party within 48 hours, describing it as a sign of growing public frustration.

According to him “The registration figures are verifiable and not artificially generated. Anybody can go to the NDC website and confirm this,” he said.

In Nasarawa, a former chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalist, NUJ, in the state, Dogo Shammah was elected as chairman alongside a 35-man executive committee.

Announcing the new the new leadership of the party in the state, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Farouk Auta, who represented the National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, said that NDC is going to bring about political tsunami in Nasarawa as politicians and individuals from other political parties are joining the party in droves.

In his acceptance speech, Shammah, who was also a commissioner of information in the State, said the NDC will provide a viable opposition that will be guided by conviction, principles and values in Nasarawa State which has been lacking since 2015.

Also, the NNPP 2023 governorship candidates, Alhaji Abdulahi Yakubu Madoiya, who is the custodian of the Kwankwasiya movement in Nasarawa State, a political platform of the the former governor of Kano, Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso, led decampees from the NNPP to the NDC and they were formally registered by the party.

Maidoya promised to handover his political structures and that of the Kwankwasiya movement to NDC, and ensure that the party has offices across the zones, local government and wards of the state.

ADC, Atiku camp deny defection talks with NDC

Meanwhile, the ADC, and allies of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have denied reports of defection talks with the NDC amid claims of ongoing contacts and a possible mid-week announcement.

Responding to the reports, Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, told Vanguard there were no such talks involving the former vice president and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola.

“If that is the case, I will be the first to know. I don’t think that there’s anything like that,” Ibe said.

Within the party, officials also rejected the claims, saying there were no discussions linking its key figures to the NDC and that the reports did not reflect the situation.

ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said: “100% rubbish.”

The reports point to alleged high-level contacts between leading political actors within the ADC and key NDC figures, with suggestions that a formal move could be announced as early as Wednesday.

Following Sunday’s defection of Obi and Kwankwaso, the NDC is now being mentioned in political circles as a possible rallying point for those seeking a new alignment.

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