2027: NDC Uploads Obi’s Name On INEC Portal As Legal Battle Continues

Embattled opposition political party, the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC has uploaded the name of Peter Obi the party’s presidential candidate for next year’s election on the INEC portal.

NDC’s National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson made the revelation in a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, saying the electoral umpire has opened its portal to the party to upload the credentials of its candidates for the 2027 general election.

Senator Dickson said the name of NDC vice presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso will also be uploaded on the portal in no time, stressing that INEC opened its portal to the party after it received a letter of Stay of Execution on a judgment of a federal High Court, Lokoja, Kogi state, last week directing INEC to de-register the party.

The judgment has elicited trenchant criticism from not a few Nigerians who accused the federal government of trying to shut the door on some opposition political parties in the country, to prevent them from participating in the 2027 election.

Critics of the Tinubu’s administration also accused his government of trying to choke the democratic space against candidates and political parties, which it believe has the capacity to pose a serious challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC quest to return to power next year.

Dickson, a former Governor of Bayelsa state however stated in his social media post today that INEC may have decided to allow the party to upload the credentials of its presidential and other NDC  candidates after it was notified that the party had filed an objection suit challenging last weeks order for it to be de-register from INEC’s list of political parties in the country.

According to Senator Dickson, the electoral umpire must ensure that INEC must follow the law and ensure that any decision it takes against the party is in line with the nation’s extant law and  “legally sensible.”.

“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,” the NDC leader said.

“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,” Dickson stated, adding that the process to upload other NDC qualified candidates on INEC’s portal is 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 said.