The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has commenced the submission of its candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite an ongoing legal challenge over the party’s status.
National Leader of the party, Henry Seriake Dickson, announced on Monday that the NDC had been granted access to the INEC portal, allowing it to upload the names of candidates who emerged from its nationwide primaries.
Dickson disclosed the development in a statement shared on his X account, revealing that the party had also filed an appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a recent court judgment affecting its legal status. He said both documents had been served on the INEC Chairman and the electoral commission.
According to the former Bayelsa State governor, the NDC remains a legally recognised political party and has completed its nomination process across the country.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria. 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,” he said.
Dickson explained that the only outstanding administrative step was the formal submission of candidates’ names to the electoral commission.
“My name and that of the presidential candidate have been uploaded to the INEC portal, while that of the vice-presidential candidate will be uploaded tomorrow upon completion of the deposition. The process is also ongoing for other candidates,” he stated.
He noted that the party still has sufficient time to complete the exercise before INEC’s deadlines, with July 11 set for National Assembly candidates and July 17 for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates.
“There is enough time for all candidates’ names to be submitted to INEC, and there is no reason for anyone to panic,” Dickson added.
The NDC leader also congratulated candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries while acknowledging that the process was not without challenges, particularly for a newly registered political party fielding contestants nationwide.
He disclosed that reconciliation efforts had begun to unite members who were unsuccessful during the primaries, assuring them of roles in the party’s campaign structure and other political activities.
“As National Leader, I congratulate all NDC candidates, members and lovers of democracy. All those who expressed interest will be carried along because they constitute the grassroots strength and backbone of our party,” he said.
Dickson further called for the protection of Nigeria’s multi-party democracy, warning against attempts to weaken democratic institutions. He urged political leaders to respect the independence of the judiciary, INEC and security agencies.
He also commended INEC for complying with court directives relating to the registration of the NDC and other political parties, expressing confidence that the judiciary would fairly determine the pending appeal.
“Having filed and served our appeal and the accompanying applications, the ball is now in the court of the judiciary, and we expect the judiciary to do what is right under the law,” he said.
