Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Nigeria Democratic Congress has announced that the Independent National Electoral Commission has restored its access to the candidate nomination portal, enabling the party to begin uploading the names of its candidates for the 2027 elections despite an ongoing legal dispute over its status.
The party’s National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, disclosed the development on Tuesday, describing it as a significant step following the filing of an appeal against a recent Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja.
According to Dickson, the party also submitted an application for a stay of execution and formally served the relevant court documents on INEC.
“Today, the NDC has filed an appeal against the ruling as well as a stay of execution/injunction, which has been served with a covering letter to the INEC chairman and his team to do what is right according to law and what is legally sensible.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria which has participated in all the political processes so far.
“Nomination processes have already been concluded and, in the eyes of the law, candidates have already emerged from the party for all offices across the country in primaries observed, monitored and recorded by INEC.
“What is left is the administrative process of submitting the names to INEC, and we have been granted access to the portal to upload our qualified candidates,” he said.
Dickson disclosed that both his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded to the portal.
“My name and that of the presidential candidate have been uploaded to the INEC portal, while that of the vice presidential candidate will be done tomorrow upon completion of the deposition. The process is also ongoing for other candidates,” he stated.
He urged party members to remain calm, noting that there was sufficient time to complete the nomination process within INEC’s timetable.
“In accordance with the INEC timetable, which we have religiously abided by, we have between now and the 11th of next month to upload all National Assembly candidates, while those of governors and State Houses of Assembly will end on the 17th of July.
“So there is enough time for all candidates’ names to be submitted to INEC and there is no reason for anyone to panic,” he added.
The former Bayelsa governor also said reconciliation efforts had begun within the party, calling on unsuccessful aspirants to remain committed to its activities and structures.
“The reconciliation processes have started and we expect them to reach everyone. We assure them that all those who expressed interest will be carried along in the party’s campaigns, committees and structures because they constitute the grassroots strength and the backbone of our party,” he said.
Dickson further expressed appreciation to INEC for what he described as its professionalism and said the party would await the outcome of the judicial process.
The development comes days after the NDC challenged the Lokoja court ruling that created uncertainty over the party’s registration, maintaining that it remains a legally recognised political party pending the determination of its appeal.
