Post by Ibadan Watch (@Ibadanwatch)

Obi, Senate Candidates Back on INEC Portal as Commission Restores NDC Access.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored access to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s candidate nomination portal, enabling the party to upload candidates for the 2027 election despite ongoing legal issues.

NDC National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson announced on his X account that this followed the party’s filing of an appeal and stay application against a recent federal court judgment in Lokoja. He added that the appeal and documents had been served on INEC, urging the commission to follow the law.

He maintained that the NDC remains a duly registered political party and that all its primaries were validly conducted under the supervision of INEC.

According to him, the only outstanding process was the administrative submission of candidates’ names through the commission’s nomination portal.

He disclosed that his name as the party’s National Assembly candidate and that of the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded to the portal.

Dickson added that the name of the vice presidential candidate would be uploaded after the completion of the necessary documentation, while the nomination of other candidates across the country was also underway.

“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.

“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,” he said.

The former Bayelsa governor urged party members and supporters not to panic, assuring them that there was enough time to submit candidates’ names within INEC’s timetable. He noted that the party had until July 11 to upload National Assembly candidates and until July 17 for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates.

Dickson also appealed to aggrieved aspirants who lost in primaries to stay committed to the NDC, saying reconciliation had begun. He assured them they would be integrated into campaign structures before the elections. The NDC leader thanked INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, for his professionalism and expressed confidence that the judiciary would resolve the pending appeal lawfully.

The development comes days after the NDC filed an appeal against the Federal High Court judgment that created uncertainty over the party’s legal status.

The party has consistently argued that the judgment neither dissolved nor deregistered it and insists it remains a legally recognised political party pending the determination of its appeal.

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