By Samson Elijah
Former national chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Chief Peter Ameh, has condemned the recent Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja affecting the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing it as “a dangerous assault on democracy and the rule of law.”
Ameh, who is also the acting national chairman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), in a statement yesterday in Abuja, while reacting to the court’s decision, alleged that it improperly reviewed an earlier judgment recognising the NDC.
According to him, the ruling raises serious concerns about judicial independence, the finality of court judgments and the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial process.
“It is laughable that a court would agree to deregister a duly registered political party simply because an unregistered, legally nonexistent party asked it to do so,” Ameh said.
“Something is seriously and fundamentally wrong with the integrity of the court decision in that judgment. This is no longer just about the executive arm of government interfering in judicial affairs but deep system rot within the judiciary itself.”
Ameh claimed that the application leading to the review was filed by the Peace Movement Party, which he alleged is not a registered political party recognised under Nigerian law and was not a party to the original suit decided on December 10, 2025.
He maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was the defendant in the suit, did not appeal the judgment within the three-month period prescribed by law.
The former IPAC chairman argued that the court became functus officio after delivering its judgment and therefore lacked the authority to revisit the substantive issues except under exceptional circumstances.
“Ordinarily, once a court delivers its judgment, it is said to have become functus officio, meaning that the court has performed its duty and exhausted its powers over that matter,” he stated.
“A court is not supposed to review its own judgment except in extreme circumstances, such as where it acted without jurisdiction, where a party to the suit was not properly served, or where the judgment was obtained by fraud. Sadly, none of these circumstances existed to justify Justice Isa Dashen reviewing his own judgment.”
Ameh questioned why the review application was entertained more than six months after the original judgment, particularly after the NDC had reportedly concluded its primary elections and produced candidates nationwide.
“It is therefore a clear case of judicial overreach for the judgment to upturn the earlier decision after six months through a very questionable process,” he said.
He further alleged that the Peace Movement Party lacked the legal standing to seek a review because it was neither a party to the original proceedings nor a legally recognised political party.
Expressing concern over the implications of the ruling, Ameh said the decision could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and weaken the principle of certainty in judicial decisions.
“This is exactly why many legal minds should be worried. What just happened raises serious questions about the limits of judicial powers and the sanctity of final judgments,” he said.
