The court of appeal in Abuja has nullified the judgement of the federal high court in Lokoja that ordered the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The appellate court on Friday ruled that the judgement of the lower court on the case was faulty.

In June, a federal high court in Lokoja set aside its earlier judgement which compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register NDC as a political party.

Isah Dashen, the presiding judge, had held that the December 10, 2025, judgement was delivered without hearing all necessary parties, rendering the proceedings constitutionally defective.

The judgement followed an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which argued that it had a legal interest in the case and should have been joined as a party before the court delivered its ruling.

The judge agreed, holding that the applicant had established sufficient interest to be joined in the proceedings and ruled that the omission rendered the entire process null and void.

In a statement published on his X handle, Seriake Dickson, national leader of the NDC, said the appeal court’s judgement means that the party’s registration “remains valid and subsisting”.

Dickson said the next task is to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.

“We want to use this opportunity once again to commend the Nigerian judiciary, and in particular, Hon. Justice Danjuma and Hon. Justice Hassan, for upholding the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and, by their decisions, expanding the sphere of multiparty democratic participation in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“We have said repeatedly that the NDC was set up to expand the frontier of multiparty democracy in Nigeria. Justice Dashen’s judgment a few months ago was an unexpected assault on our constitutional right to participate and an attempt to narrow the democratic space.

“Happily, today, by the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Nigerian democratic space has been protected, and the NDC’s right to participate in all political activities as a registered political party has been upheld.”

The Ogun Youth Vanguard (OYV), a pressure group, has hit back at attempts to question the indigeneship of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, describing the campaign as a desperate political strategy aimed at frustrating the longstanding aspiration of the Yewa people to produce the next governor of Ogun State.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Friday by its Secretary, Abdulhamid Irewole, OYV challenged those questioning Adeola’s roots to produce their evidence before the appropriate judicial or constitutional authorities rather than resorting to what it described as a campaign of calumny through television appearances and social media.

The group alleged that political interests opposed to Adeola’s emergence had deployed individuals to television stations to cast doubts on his ancestry, describing the development as an attempt to “chase shadows” and divert attention from the APC candidate’s record of service.

OYV also took aim at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, alleging that he had been deploying his supporters to propagate what the group described as “false claims” against Adeola.

The group said Adebutu, who is facing prosecution arising from allegations relating to vote-buying and corruption, should allow the courts to determine his case instead of attempting to cast aspersions on the character of another candidate.

“Someone who has allegations of vote-buying and corruption hanging over him should first remove the log in his own eye before pointing accusing fingers at an innocent person. Rather than addressing the serious allegations before the courts, Adebutu appears to believe that he can secure Ogun’s governorship through a dubious campaign strategy. That strategy has failed,” the group said.

OYV insisted that the indigeneship issue was part of a broader political effort to frustrate what it described as the legitimate and longstanding aspiration of the Yewa people to produce the governor of Ogun State.

It alleged that those behind the campaign were attempting to rob Yewa of an opportunity that the zone had pursued for decades, but declared that such efforts would not succeed.

The group also drew attention to the current political configuration of the state, noting that Governor Dapo Abiodun and Adebutu are both from Iperu in Ikenne Local Government Area.

According to OYV, those seeking to perpetuate the existing political arrangement at the expense of other zones are merely attempting to turn the hands of the clock backwards.

“The aspiration of Yewa to produce the governor of Ogun State is sacrosanct. No amount of blackmail, intimidation or politically motivated attacks can erase that aspiration,” the group said.

It further argued that if the present arrangement were to be sustained indefinitely, the implication would be that other zones would have to wait many more years before their turn.

“It is the turn of Yewa, and attempts to deny the people of the zone their longstanding aspiration have failed,” OYV said.

The group challenged anyone with credible evidence capable of disproving Adeola’s claim of Ogun indigeneship to present it before the appropriate authorities, insisting that television appearances and political allegations cannot substitute for due process.

It said Adeola would remain focused on his campaign and urged the electorate to judge all candidates on their records, programmes, experience and commitment to Ogun State.

“Ogun people deserve a campaign based on issues, not distractions. If anyone has evidence capable of disproving Senator Adeola’s indigeneship, let such evidence be presented before the appropriate authority. Otherwise, those behind the campaign should stop chasing shadows and allow the people to focus on the issues that matter,” the group said.

The formal inauguration of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC)campaign council is scheduled for today, Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat on ACME Road, Ikeja, Lagos.

The APC Lagos chapter, had earlier unveiled its campaign council structure ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode among those listed in key positions.

The structure was released on Thursday by the Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre.

Prince Tajudeen Olusi is listed as Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council, while Sanwo-Olu will serve as Advisory Council Chairman. Fashola and Ambode were named as Co-Chairmen.

Other members of the advisory structure include President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and former Minister of Health, Senator Adeleke Mamora.

At the main campaign council level, Sanwo-Olu is listed as Chairman, with his deputy, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, serving as Deputy Chairman.

Cornelius Ojelabi is named Vice Chairman I, Obasa as Vice Chairman II, while Damilola Sonayon James will serve as Vice Chairman III.

Former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is listed as Director-General of the campaign council, with Rasaq Ajala as Deputy Director-General and Adekunle Olayinka as Campaign Secretary.

The campaign structure also includes directorates and sub-committees responsible for legal and compliance matters, party and inter-party affairs, administration and logistics, traditional institutions, diaspora engagement and residents’ associations.

Lawal Pedro, SAN, is listed to head the Legal and Compliance Directorate, while Moshood Mayegun will oversee Party and Inter-Party Affairs. Other officials were assigned responsibilities across the various specialised units.

The structure also provides for grassroots coordinators across the state’s local government areas and Local Council Development Areas.