A leading promoter of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Umar Ardo, has raised fresh concerns over the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging that the party did not meet legal requirements and vowing to challenge the process in court.

Ardo, speaking during an interview on Trust TV, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deviating from its established procedures by registering a party that, according to him, did not undergo the standard screening process.

He maintained that the NDC failed to comply with constitutional provisions and guidelines outlined by INEC for political party registration, insisting that the process was irregular.

INEC had earlier disclosed during a consultative meeting in Abuja that only two political associations were registered out of 171 applications.

 According to the commission, one party, the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), was registered through its internal process, while the NDC was registered in compliance with a court order.

Ardo argued that, unlike the ADA which he said fulfilled all stipulated conditions and submitted required documentation, the NDC allegedly did not complete key stages of the registration process, including formal application, submission of its constitution and manifesto, and listing of executive members prior to approval.

He further questioned the speed of the court ruling that led to the party’s registration and criticised INEC for not appealing the judgment before issuing a certificate to the NDC.

Despite his claims, the NDC, through its National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, has dismissed the allegations as misleading and unfounded.

The controversy comes amid recent high-profile defections to the party, including former presidential candidate Peter Obi and ex-Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who formally joined the NDC in Abuja.

Ardo insisted that he would pursue legal redress, stating that the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process must be upheld and warning that irregularities in party registration could undermine democratic stability.