The court noted that it would ordinarily not have responded to the publication but deemed it necessary to set the records straight.
The High Court in Kogi has dismissed as false and misleading, a social media report alleging that it ordered the deregistration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
A statement issued by the court’s Chief Information Officer, Saqeeb Saeed, on Thursday in Lokoja, the state capital, said it neither handled nor determined any case relating to the registration or deregistration of the party or any other political party in Nigeria.
It noted that the misleading publication was accompanied by photographs of the Chief Judge of Kogi, Josiah Majebi, and former Governor, Yahaya Bello.
It said the photographs created what it described as a mischievous impression that the purported decision emanated from the high court.
The court noted that it would ordinarily not have responded to the publication but deemed it necessary to set the records straight.
It added that the report had the potential to undermine the integrity and dignity of the judiciary.
It urged members of the public, particularly content creators, to verify facts before publishing information capable of misleading the public.
The court warned that disseminating false information capable of tarnishing the image of judges and the High Court of Justice or other courts under its administrative control would no longer be tolerated.
It, therefore, urged the public to disregard the social media publication, reaffirming its commitment to dispensing justice fairly, diligently and without fear or favour.
The clarification comes weeks after Justice Isah Dashen of the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja reportedly reversed his earlier ruling deregistering the NDC.
Mr Dashen held that all relevant parties must be heard before any substantive decision can be made in the matter.
The court upheld the application filed by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), ruling that the party was a necessary party to the suit.
According to the judge, the earlier judgement was constitutionally defective as it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties.
He declared that this omission rendered the entire process null and void.
Mr Dashen further ruled that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 2025 judgement, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
He also observed that certain material facts were suppressed in the earlier proceedings, which justified the decision to set aside the judgment.
Consequently, the court ordered that the substantive suit should begin afresh, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PMP and the NDC as parties to the case.
(NAN)
