The Independent National Electoral Commission has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to resume the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections despite an ongoing legal dispute over its status.
The National Leader of the NDC and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Henry Dickson, disclosed the development in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday.
Dickson said the restoration followed the party’s filing of a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which had cast uncertainty over the party’s legal standing.
According to him, the appeal and accompanying applications have been served on INEC, urging the electoral body to act in line with the law while the matter remains before the court.
He maintained that the NDC remains a legally registered political party and that its primary elections were validly conducted under INEC’s supervision.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered political party in Nigeria which has participated in all the political processes so far,” Dickson said.
He explained that while the party had already concluded its nomination processes, the remaining task was the administrative submission of candidates’ names through INEC’s portal.
Dickson disclosed that his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded to the commission’s portal, while the vice-presidential candidate’s details would be submitted after the completion of the required documentation.
He added that the upload of candidates for other elective offices was also in progress.
The former governor urged party members and supporters not to panic, saying the party still had ample time to complete the nomination exercise within the timetable released by INEC.
According to him, nominations for National Assembly candidates will close on July 11, while submissions for governorship and state House of Assembly candidates will end on July 17.
“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 aspirants who lost during the party’s primaries to support the NDC, revealing that reconciliation efforts had already commenced.
He assured aggrieved members that they would be accommodated in the party’s campaign structures, committees and other political activities.
The senator commended INEC for what he described as its professionalism in handling the matter and expressed confidence that the judiciary would determine the appeal in accordance with the law.
The development comes days after the NDC challenged the Federal High Court judgment that triggered uncertainty over the party’s registration, insisting that the ruling neither dissolved nor deregistered the party.
The opposition party has maintained that it remains legally recognised pending the determination of its appeal.on of its appeal.
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