Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress's (NDC) access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to upload the names of its candidates for the 2027 general elections despite an ongoing legal battle over the party's registration status. Senator Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the NDC and a candidate for Bayelsa West Senatorial District, confirmed the development on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 in a post on his X account, describing it as a positive step following the party's legal actions against a recent court ruling.
Dickson disclosed that the restoration followed the party's decision to challenge the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which had set aside an earlier order directing INEC to register the NDC. He said the NDC had filed a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution, adding that the appeal and accompanying documents had been served on the electoral commission with a covering letter urging it to act in accordance with the law. "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," Dickson said.
The former Bayelsa State governor maintained that the NDC remains a duly registered political party and has validly conducted its primaries under INEC's supervision. "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," he said. "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".
Dickson revealed that his name and that of the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded to the commission's portal. He added that the vice-presidential candidate's details would be submitted upon completion of necessary documentation, while submissions for other candidates were also ongoing. "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.
The party leader urged members and supporters to remain calm, assuring them that there was still sufficient time to complete the nomination process within INEC's timetable. He noted that the party had between now and July 11, 2026 to upload all National Assembly candidates, while submissions for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates would close on July 17, 2026. "So there is enough time for all candidates' names to be submitted to INEC and there is no reason for anyone to panic," he said.
Dickson also appealed to unsuccessful aspirants to support the party, saying reconciliation efforts had already commenced to ensure unity ahead of the elections. "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.
The party leader thanked INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, for what he described as the commission's professionalism, and expressed confidence that the judiciary would determine the appeal in accordance with the law. "We thank INEC, led by Professor Joash Amupitan, for their professionalism so far, and we expect them to continue on this path. Having filed and served our appeal and the accompanying applications, the ball is now in the court of the judiciary, and we expect the judiciary to do what is right under the law," he said.
The development comes days after the Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its December 2025 judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party. The ruling followed an application by the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which sought to have the earlier judgment set aside because it was not joined in the suit. Justice Isah Dashen upheld the PMP application and ruled that all relevant parties must be heard before any substantive decision could be made in the matter, ordering that the status quo be restored to what it was before the December 2025 judgment pending the determination of the substantive suit. The NDC has maintained that the judgment neither dissolved nor deregistered the party and that it remains legally recognised pending the outcome of its appeal.
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