The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to upload the names of its candidates despite the ongoing legal dispute over its status.
NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, disclosed the development in a post on his X account on Tuesday, describing it as a positive step after the party filed a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution against last week’s Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja.
According to Dickson, the appeal and accompanying applications have been served on INEC alongside a letter urging the commission to act in accordance with the law.
He maintained that the NDC remains a duly registered political party and that its primaries, conducted under INEC’s supervision, produced valid candidates for elective offices.
“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,” he said.
Dickson added that the party had concluded its nomination process and was now completing the administrative step of submitting candidates’ names through INEC’s portal.
He disclosed that his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded, while the vice-presidential candidate’s details would be submitted after the completion of the required documentation.
“The process is also ongoing for other candidates,” he said.
The former Bayelsa State governor urged party members to remain calm, noting that the NDC still had sufficient time to meet INEC’s nomination deadlines.
“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 said.
Dickson also appealed to unsuccessful aspirants to support the party, saying reconciliation efforts were already underway.
“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.
He 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 line with the law.
The development comes days after the NDC appealed the Federal High Court ruling that triggered uncertainty over the party’s registration. The party has argued that the judgment neither dissolved nor deregistered it and maintains that it remains legally recognised pending the outcome of the appeal.
