By David Odama
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored access to the candidate nomination portal of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), allowing the party to begin uploading names of its candidates for the 2027 general elections, despite an ongoing court case challenging its registration.
National Leader of the party and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, announced the development on Tuesday. He explained that the restoration followed the filing of a notice of appeal and an application for stay of execution against a recent Federal High Court judgment that cast doubt on the party’s status.
Dickson said the appeal documents were served on INEC along with a letter requesting the commission to act in accordance with the law. He maintained that the NDC remains a legally registered political party, noting that all its primary elections were conducted under INEC’s supervision.
According to him, the party had already concluded its nomination process and only needed to complete the administrative step of submitting candidates’ names via the portal. He confirmed that his name as a National Assembly candidate and that of the NDC presidential candidate had already been uploaded, while the vice-presidential candidate’s details would follow after documentation. Other candidates’ names across the country are also being uploaded.
Dickson urged members and supporters to remain calm, assuring them that there was sufficient time to meet INEC’s deadlines. He noted that the party has until July 11 to submit National Assembly candidates and until July 17 for governorship and state assembly candidates. He also appealed to aspirants who lost in the primaries to stay committed, promising reconciliation and inclusion in campaign activities.
He expressed gratitude to the INEC Chairman for what he described as the commission’s professional handling of the matter.
The development comes just days after the NDC filed an appeal against a Federal High Court judgment affecting its registration. The party insists that the ruling neither dissolved nor deregistered it and that it remains recognised pending the outcome of the appeal.
