The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to approve and immediately upload the modified logo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for use in all elections.
Judge Joyce Abdulmalik made the order in a judgment delivered on Tuesday in a suit filed by the NDC against INEC by way of an originating summons on 11 August.
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The enrolled order issued by the court summarising the key pronouncements in the judgement was shared on X late Wednesday by Seriake Dickson, the national leader of the party.
The court ordered INEC “to forthwith approve the modified logo design of the Plaintiff, including its symbol and colours … for use by the plaintiff as its official logo for all purposes as a political party including for all elections conducted by the Defendant in Nigeria.”
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The court described the modified logo as a digitally designed “Two fingers victory sign” with a blue background and the word “NDC” written in red.
In addition to ordering INEC to approve the logo, Mrs Abdulmalik granted a perpetual injunction restraining INEC, its servants, agents, officers or representatives from interfering with the NDC’s use of the modified logo.
The court further ordered INEC to immediately upload the modified logo to its official website for use by the NDC in all elections conducted by the commission.
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The court also declared INEC’s refusal to permit the NDC to modify its colour and logo design unconstitutional, illegal and an infraction of the party’s constitutional and statutory rights.
Judge Abdulmalik reached the decision after considering provisions of the Nigerian constitution, including Sections 221, 222(A) to (F), 14(1)(C), 7(2)(a) and 40, as well as Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
She referred to the constitutional provision that Nigeria “shall be a state based on principles of democracy and social justice.”
Also, the judge referred to the provision that the participation of citizens in government shall be in accordance with the Constitution and that, in furtherance of the social order, “every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law.”
The court held that INEC’s refusal to permit the NDC to modify its colour and logo design was unconstitutional and illegal.
‘Vindication of the NDC’s position’
In his X post, Mr Dickson the party’s leader welcomed the judgment and described it as a “vindication of the NDC’s position” in its dispute with INEC over the party’s logo.
Mr Dickson, a former Bayelsa State governor and serving senator representing Bayelsa West, narrated that the party had initially approved and forwarded the modified logo to INEC after its first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, and that the commission subsequently uploaded it only to later remove it.
He said subsequently replaced the modied logo with the original logo with which the NDC was originally registered without giving the party a reason.
He said the NDC waited for INEC to correct the situation before approaching the court.
Now that the court had granted the party’s prayers, Mr Dickson urged the party’s candidates and members to immediately adopt the modified logo on campaign materials, including banners, posters and other publicity materials.
He also urged members not to panic over the change, saying both logos retained the two-finger victory sign.
He said the party would issue a formal statement and conduct publicity to guide its candidates, members and voters on the approved logo.
How the logo dispute started
The dispute over the NDC’s registration began after INEC initially refused to register the party over its proposed logo.
The NDC, which is fielding Peter Obi, as it’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, challenged the decision at the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State.
On 10 December 2025, the court ordered INEC to recognise and register the NDC as a political party.
INEC later complied with the judgement and announced the registration of the NDC in February.
However, the registration soon faced another legal challenge after the Peace Movement Party (PMP) complained that the logo used by the NDC was similar to one it had previously submitted to INEC.
The PMP also argued that it had an interest in the matter and should have been joined before the court ordered INEC to register the NDC.
READ ALSO: How NDC is funded – Spokesperson
In June, Isah Dashen, a judge of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, set aside the earlier judgement that had paved the way for the NDC’s registration.
The judge held that the PMP was a necessary party that should have been heard before the earlier judgment was delivered.
Consequently, the court restored the position that existed before the 10 December 2025 judgement and directed that the substantive dispute be heard afresh with INEC, the NDC and PMP as parties.
But the NDC rejected the ruling and appealed against it. The party maintained that there was no order directing INEC to deregister the party.
Reports later circulated on social media that the Kogi State High Court had ordered the deregistration of the NDC.
But the Kogi State High Court subsequently denied issuing such an order, saying it had not handled or determined any case concerning the registration or deregistration of the NDC.
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