Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of denying it the access code required to upload the names of its candidates to the commission's nomination portal, a development that threatens to derail the party's participation in the 2027 general elections just as it prepares to challenge a court ruling ordering its deregistration.
The allegation, made by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, on Sunday, June 28, 2026, comes amid a Federal High Court judgment instructing INEC to deregister the NDC, a ruling that has cast uncertainty over the party's legal status and its ability to field candidates in forthcoming elections. Director said the party had approached INEC to obtain the access code needed to complete the online submission of its candidates but was unable to secure it. "We approached INEC to collect the access code to upload the names of our candidates to the INEC portal. They told us that they will get back to us," he said.
According to him, the party's inability to upload its candidates should not be interpreted as a failure on its part, insisting that the delay resulted from the commission's refusal to provide the necessary access credentials. He further revealed that the party would return to INEC to make another request while simultaneously taking legal steps to suspend the enforcement of the court judgment. "We will go back there by tomorrow. I believe by tomorrow we must have filed a stay of execution in court," he added.
The development comes in the wake of a Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, which on Friday, June 26, 2026, ordered INEC not to recognise the NDC as a political party pending the resolution of all legal disputes surrounding its registration. The court had earlier set aside its December 2025 judgment that compelled INEC to register the NDC after the Peace Movement Party (PMP) claimed ownership of the logo the NDC used for its registration.
Despite the ruling, the NDC has insisted it remains a legally recognised political party and vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal. NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, said the party rejects the judgment and will immediately appeal the decision, insisting its legal status remains intact. The party argued that the Peace Movement Party is neither a registered political party nor an association currently seeking registration under INEC's ongoing registration exercise, just as it said that the Federal High Court had become functus officio after delivering its final judgment in the matter.
The lockout could threaten the ambitions of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, who were recently ratified as the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, alongside a host of other politicians who followed them to the party. The crisis follows a Federal High Court judgment ordering the commission to deregister the party, throwing its legal status into doubt at a highly critical moment ahead of the election period.
The development coincides with an adjustment to the election timeline, as the commission shifted the general release of portal access codes from Friday, June 26, to Monday, June 29, to ensure a smooth uploading process for eligible parties. Under the revised 2027 timetable, the window for submitting presidential and National Assembly nominations runs from June 27 to July 11, 2026, followed by governorship and state assembly submissions from July 18 to August 8, 2026. This allows candidate credentials to be published for public scrutiny in August, ahead of public campaigns and the final elections in early 2027. However, given the standing court ruling, it remains highly uncertain if the party will be allowed to participate if the judgement isn't vacated.
The legal dispute is expected to continue as the NDC heads to the Court of Appeal while seeking a stay of execution of the Lokoja court's ruling. The dispute also raises broader questions about the interaction between judicial decisions and electoral administration, particularly where political parties are required to meet statutory deadlines for candidate nominations while litigation is ongoing. The outcome of the planned court action is expected to determine whether the NDC can retain its legal status and continue participating in Nigeria's electoral process ahead of future elections.
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