Court Bars INEC From Accepting NDC Candidate for Imo East

The Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State, has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting any candidate presented by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Imo East Senatorial District.

Justice I. N. Oweibo issued the order after five senatorial aspirants challenged the process used by the NDC to select its candidate for the Owerri Zone senatorial seat ahead of the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election.

The ruling puts the candidacy of former Imo State Secretary to the Government, Uche Onyeaguocha, in fresh legal uncertainty. The NDC had submitted Onyeaguocha’s name to INEC, which subsequently published him among the candidates for the Imo East senatorial election.

The five plaintiffs were among aspirants who obtained the NDC’s expression of interest forms and took part in the screening process. They argued that the party failed to conduct a valid primary election despite their participation in the preliminary stages and alleged payment of N20 million each as a development fee.

Delivering judgment, Justice Oweibo held that the NDC did not conduct a primary election for Imo East in line with the required process. The court consequently ordered INEC not to accept a candidate presented by the party for the senatorial district on the basis of the disputed primary process.

The judgment creates another legal challenge for the opposition party less than four months before the National Assembly election. It also leaves the NDC’s representation in the Imo East contest uncertain unless the party successfully challenges the decision or takes steps to address the court’s concerns.

Onyeaguocha, a lawyer and former federal lawmaker, represented Owerri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. He later served as Secretary to the Imo State Government under former Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

The latest dispute concerns the same senatorial seat Onyeaguocha contested in 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He lost that election to Ezenwa Onyewuchi of the Labour Party. The new court ruling now places the NDC’s 2027 nomination process for Imo East under another legal test.