Umar Ardo, one of the founding leaders of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), has announced that the group will challenge a Federal High Court ruling sitting in Lokoja which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.
ADA was among eight associations initially pre-qualified by Independent National Electoral Commission in October 2025 after submitting required documentation for party registration.
However, INEC later stated in February 2026 that only two of the associations met the final requirements for verification and compliance with constitutional and electoral guidelines. Despite this, the commission proceeded to register the NDC following a court order.
Ardo criticised the development, arguing that the NDC was not part of the original screening process and had not fulfilled the standard requirements for party registration. He maintained that ADA had complied fully with all conditions, including documentation and financial commitments, yet had not received approval.
Speaking in an interview, Ardo described the court decision as questionable, alleging irregularities in the process and suggesting that the judgment may have been influenced by external factors.
He further stated that ADA would appeal the ruling, insisting that the NDC did not submit key mandatory documents such as a constitution, manifesto, or executive list, and did not participate in INEC’s official registration portal process.
Ardo also compared timelines, arguing that while ADA’s application has remained pending for months, the NDC’s registration was completed within a relatively short period following the court order.
The group maintains that it has met all legal and financial requirements for registration and is seeking a review of what it considers an unfair outcome in the political party registration process.
