The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has announced that it will participate in the 2027 general elections following a Court of Appeal judgment setting aside a Federal High Court ruling that ordered its deregistration.

The party’s National Leader, Henry Seriake Dickson, disclosed this in a statement reacting to the appellate court’s decision in Abuja.

Dickson said the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment delivered by Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja a few months ago.

The statement reads in full:

“Today, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, delivered by Justice Isah Dashen a few months ago, which purported to order the deregistration of our party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“In a judgment delivered by the presiding Justice, Mohammed Danjuma, and read by Justice Hassan, the Court ruled in favour of allowing our appeal, which challenged the faulty ruling of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, and accordingly, set aside Justice Dashen’s judgment.

“We want to use this opportunity once again to commend the Nigerian judiciary, and in particular, Hon. Justice Danjuma and Hon. Justice Hassan, for upholding the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and, by their decisions, expanding the sphere of multiparty democratic participation in Nigeria.

“We have said repeatedly that the NDC was set up to expand the frontier of multiparty democracy in Nigeria. Justice Dashen’s judgment a few months ago was an unexpected assault on our constitutional right to participate and an attempt to narrow the democratic space.

“Happily, Today, by the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Nigerian democratic space has been protected, and the NDC’s right to participate in all political activities as a registered political party has been upheld.

“I congratulate all members and candidates of our great party, the NDC, and thank Nigerians for their prayers and support.

“When the unexpected judgment of the Lokoja Federal High Court was delivered, we were bombarded with several calls for sympathy, support and prayers. Today, our collective prayers have been answered.

“The NDC continues to exist. Our registration remains valid and subsisting, and we and all our candidates will participate in all elections in 2027 and beyond, by the grace of God.

“Everyone should now focus on the campaigns, prepare for the elections, and focus on the task ahead to face the APC and defeat them at the polls.

“A resort to arm-twisting, inducing or intimidating the judiciary will not work. We remain confident in the strength of our message, the commitment of our members, the viability of our candidates, and the support of Nigerians.

“With this conviction, we look forward to the forthcoming elections and are confident that the NDC will emerge victorious at the polls, by the grace of God.

“The fight for Nigeria’s multiparty democracy continues and, by the grace of God, we will emerge victorious.”

…Doles out ₦77m to 77 returnee families

…Says “Don’t be afraid to start again”

…Returnees: “We feel at home”

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Thursday, welcomed home 77 Enugu State families made up of 112 indigenes forced home by the unabating xenophobic attacks in South Africa, assuring them that the state would stand in solidarity with them every step of the way.

Mbah also used the occasion, which took place at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, to dole out a support of ₦1m to each of the 77 families, noting that the administration was still profiling about 42 additional returnee families in conjunction with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM.

The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, condemned the attacks, but urged them not to be afraid to start again.

“The renewed attacks and hostility directed at black African migrants in parts of South Africa is condemnable and have forced many Nigerians to reconsider their safety and return home.

“Some may have left behind businesses, possessions, investments, friendships and years of work. And so, while there is happiness in seeing you alive and safely back on Enugu soil, we also understand that coming home under circumstances you did not choose can carry its own pain.

“The question before us is not simply, ‘How do we receive our people back?’ The bigger question is: ‘How do we help them begin again?’ That is why today’s reception must go beyond photographs and handshakes. It must mark the beginning of reintegration. It must mark the beginning of rebuilding.

“Importantly, government must do more than make speeches. It must put something tangible in your hands. That is why we have approved a ₦1 million seed fund for each returning family represented here today. Let me stress the word seed. A seed is not the harvest. It is the beginning of the harvest.

“This support is, therefore, not being presented as compensation for everything you may have lost. It is not intended to replace the businesses, properties or investments that some of you may have left behind. Rather, it is a modest but deliberate expression of solidarity from your state.

“The important thing is that we want this intervention to move you from returning home to rebuilding at home. And the Government of Enugu State will continue to explore ways of connecting you with relevant opportunities, programmes and institutions that can support that journey,” Mbah stated.

He encouraged them not to lose hope, but to deploy the experiences and skills acquired in South Africa to bear in exploring the new opportunities in their home state.

“I want to make one more appeal to you: Do not discard what you learnt abroad. Bring it home. Bring the discipline. Bring the ideas. Bring the networks. Bring the entrepreneurial experiences. Bring the knowledge of markets and technologies. Bring the things that worked. And even bring the lessons from the things that did not work.

“This experience must mark the beginning of a new conversation about the opportunities that exist here in Enugu, because the Enugu of today is changing. Our administration is deliberately working to create an environment where people can live, work, invest, build businesses and raise families with greater confidence.

“We are expanding infrastructure. We are improving connectivity. We are strengthening healthcare. We are investing in education and human capital. We are opening new possibilities in agriculture, tourism, technology, enterprise and industry,” he concluded.

In her response, one of the returnees, Chidimma Ogbonna, thanked Governor Peter Mbah for his concern and for the support, saying “we feel at home.”

“Your kindness gave hope and this opportunity. Thank you for welcoming us home and for believing in us,” she stated.

Another returnee, Cosmas Okwor, thanked Mbah for making them feel accepted, stressing, “We are hopeful again.”

They expressed joy over the improved infrastructure and security in the state, saying they would aid their resettlement.

Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, encouraged them to pick up the pieces of their lives and forge ahead.

“Put yourself in a position to win. New opportunities beckon,” he stressed.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora, Barr. Olangwa Ezekwu, commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa-led NIDCOM for helping Nigerian states to have their people safely home. She thanked Governor Mbah for being a father to all.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, following the alleged deaths of suspected illegal miners in the M.I. Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Minna, the state capital.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, issued on Thursday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, following the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations conducted in parts of Niger State on September 15 and 16, 2026.

Announcing the suspension, Tunji-Ojo described the incident as unfortunate, declaring, “It is an unfortunate incident; however, a full-scale investigation will be conducted while the commandant under whose watch this happened remains suspended.”

He added that “we run a government whose ultimate priority is security of lives, and we have worked to stay true to this.”

The minister urged members of the public to maintain calm and remain law-abiding to allow for a transparent investigation process, while also commiserating with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State and the families and relatives of the deceased.

In a separate statement on Friday morning, National Public Relations Officer of the Corps, ACC Babawale Afolabi, disclosed that the minister had directed the Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to carry out a full-scale, transparent and unhindered investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the illegal miners in the custody of the Corps’ Niger State Command.

The statement said that in swift compliance with the minister’s directive, the Commandant General had ordered the Niger State Commandant to step aside with immediate effect and report forthwith to the National Headquarters, Abuja, alongside his Heads of Operations, Mining, Legal, Intelligence and Investigation, to face a constituted panel of inquiry. A new commandant has since been directed to proceed to Niger State to assume immediate command of the State Command.

The Corps assured the minister that no stone would be left unturned in the investigation, warning that any officer or personnel found to have acted contrary to the law, established procedures or professional standards would face appropriate administrative, disciplinary and, where applicable, criminal sanctions in accordance with extant laws and regulations.

The NSCDC reiterated its commitment to upholding the dignity, safety and fundamental rights of every person in its custody, stressing that the enforcement of its statutory mandate, including the fight against illegal mining and the protection of Nigeria’s critical national assets, would continue to be carried out in accordance with the law and established professional standards.