Umar Ardo: NDC never completed INEC registration process

By Lawrence Agbo

A former governorship candidate and political analyst, Umar Ardo, has alleged that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) did not complete the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registration process before it was recognised as a political party through a court order.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Ardo said he became suspicious when the NDC’s registration was announced in February 2026, insisting that the party was never among the political associations that met INEC’s requirements for registration.

According to him, his inquiries at the electoral commission revealed that the NDC neither qualified for the final stage of the registration process nor submitted the required documentation through INEC’s online portal.

“When I saw on the 5th of February that NDC was registered based on court order, I was perplexed,” Ardo said.

“NDC was not listed among the qualified 14. It was not among the eight that were supposed to collect the access code and enter the INEC portal to fill Form EC158. NDC did not participate in the entire process. So you can say NDC did not apply.”

He argued that the court’s decision directing INEC to register the party despite what he described as an incomplete application process raised serious concerns.

Ardo also faulted INEC for failing to challenge the judgment, noting that the commission was aware of the circumstances surrounding the party’s registration.

“INEC ought to have appealed that judgment, but it did not,” he said.

Drawing an analogy, Ardo likened the court-ordered registration to awarding a football trophy to a team that never participated in the competition.

“It was like giving the FIFA trophy to a team that did not participate in the tournament. That is an absurd thing,” he stated.

The political figure disclosed that he publicly questioned the registration from the outset, insisting his position was based solely on constitutional and legal principles rather than political interests.

He rejected claims that he was acting on behalf of the Federal Government or any political group.

“I’m never used by government. I can never be used by government or by anybody else,” Ardo said.

Commenting on the recent court ruling that affected the NDC, Ardo said he felt vindicated but denied celebrating the party’s legal setback.

According to him, he had repeatedly warned that the registration process could face legal challenges if proper procedures were not followed.

“I did not celebrate NDC’s removal. I forewarned them, and I wanted them to be forearmed, but they refused to listen to me. When it happened, I said I was vindicated,” he added.

Ardo also expressed concern over the judiciary’s involvement in the political dispute, stressing that political parties and institutions must operate strictly within the provisions of the law.