Dr Umar Ardo is pushing back hard against INEC's registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. He's vowing to take the matter to court.
Ardo leads the All Democratic Alliance, one of 171 groups that sought political party status. Only two made it through.
Back in February, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan revealed the Democratic Leadership Alliance got registered independently.
He noted the NDC came in via a court order.
All applicants faced the same test. They had to meet constitutional requirements under Sections 222 and 223 of the 1999 Constitution, plus Electoral Act provisions and INEC's own guidelines.
But Ardo isn't buying it. He appeared on Trust TV to argue INEC broke its own rules by registering the NDC without proper screening.
The NDC fired back through National Secretary Ikenna Enekweizu. He called Ardo's allegations mischievous and misleading.
The controversy comes as major political figures shift camps. Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, jumped to the NDC.
Former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso did the same.
Both men left the African Democratic Congress behind. They got their NDC membership cards at a Sunday ceremony in Abuja.
In a recent DCL Hausa interview, Ardo doubled down on his criticism. He's determined to escalate this fight in the courts.
"The NDC got registered without a proper application," Ardo stated plainly. He said it failed to meet legal requirements under the Constitution, Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines.
His position is firm on principle. "If any other party failed to meet requirements but still got registered, I'll challenge that too," he emphasized.
Ardo detailed the ADA's own journey through the system. The group formally applied and satisfied all conditions set by INEC.
On September 10, 2025, INEC confirmed they'd qualified for the next stage. They needed to present their executives, credentials, and supporting documents for verification.
ADA complied completely with every request. Yet they still got denied registration along with 13 others, according to Ardo.
ADA went straight to court over that rejection. Now Ardo's scrutinizing how the NDC bypassed the same process.
"We have no problem with INEC's independent decisions," Ardo clarified during the interview. But the NDC's path bothers him deeply.
He outlined what the NDC didn't do. It only submitted a letter of intent, he claimed, nothing more.
According to Ardo, the NDC skipped formal application filing. It never appeared on any shortlist or used INEC's registration portal.
Critically, key documents went missing from their submission. Ardo said required paperwork simply wasn't there.
This contrast with ADA's experience troubles Ardo most. His group jumped through every hoop while the NDC seemingly took shortcuts.
The case now heads to Nigeria's courts. Ardo's determined to prove the registration process was compromised.
