The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially register and recognise the Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA) as a political party in Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling on Tuesday while deciding a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2787/25 filed by Tamunotonye Samuel Solomon Inioribo and two others against the electoral commission.
The court directed INEC to issue the party’s certificate of registration within seven days.
The judgment follows a legal challenge brought by the claimants after INEC declined to approve the association’s application for registration despite its participation in earlier stages of the registration process.
In October 2025, INEC announced that CDA and seven other associations out of fourteen pre-qualified groups seeking registration as political parties had successfully completed the upload of required documents and information.
The associations included Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
The commission had stated at the time that the groups would proceed to detailed assessment and verification.
However, in December 2025, INEC announced that CDA’s application was unsuccessful.
Subsequently, on February 5, 2026, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed that only two associations progressed to the final assessment stage and that only the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) met all legal requirements for registration.
Despite that position, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was later registered by the commission, even though it was not listed among the previously pre-qualified associations.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, the claimants approached the court, arguing that CDA had fulfilled all constitutional and statutory requirements required for registration.
Justice Egwuatu, in his ruling, agreed with the applicants and directed INEC to register the Citizens Democratic Alliance ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
