Abuja, Nigeria – The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has confirmed that his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s candidate nomination portal.

The upload occurred despite a Federal High Court ruling in Lokoja on Friday that set aside an earlier judgment recognising the NDC as a registered political party, throwing the party’s legal status into uncertainty.

Senator Dickson disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, insisting that the NDC remains a duly registered party and has participated fully in all electoral processes to date.

The controversy over the NDC’s status began after INEC registered the party on 5 February 2026, acting on a Federal High Court judgment delivered on 10 December 2025.

However, some political associations that had also applied for registration but were unsuccessful challenged the decision in court. On Friday, the Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside its earlier order, directing all parties to return to the positions they occupied before the December judgment.

The ruling created immediate confusion over whether the NDC could continue to operate as a registered party and, critically, whether it could field candidates for the 2027 general elections.

NDC Files Appeal, Secures Access Code

Senator Dickson said the party had moved swiftly to challenge the ruling.

“Today, the NDC has filed an appeal against the ruling as well as a stay of execution and 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,” he stated.

He maintained that the NDC remains legally recognised.

“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.”

Uploads Underway

According to the NDC leader, the party has been granted access to INEC’s nomination portal and has begun uploading the names of its candidates.

“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,” Senator Dickson said.

He urged supporters to remain calm, noting that the electoral timetable provides sufficient time for all submissions.

“In accordance with the INEC timetable, which we have religiously abided by, we have between now and the 11th of next month to upload all National Assembly candidates, while those of governors and State Houses of Assembly will end on the 17th of July. So there is enough time for all candidates’ names to be submitted to INEC and there is no reason for anyone to panic.”

Reconciliation Efforts Underway

Senator Dickson acknowledged that the party’s primary processes were not without challenges, particularly given the volume of aspirants and the complexities of managing a new political organisation.

“As National Leader, I must also thank all aspirants and those who indicated interest for various offices. As they know, only one person can emerge victorious in primaries, no matter how well conducted. The processes were not perfect, but we have tried to resolve these differences within this short period, for a new party dealing with such a high volume of aspirants in a direct primary situation managed by stakeholders in every state and by party leaders.”

He added that reconciliation efforts had commenced and would be extended to all aspirants.

“The reconciliation processes have started and we expect them to reach everyone, to complement what I and the leadership have continued to do. And we assure them that all those who expressed interest will be carried along in the party’s campaigns, committees and structures, because they constitute the grassroots strength and the backbone of our party.

INEC Commended

The NDC leader expressed appreciation to INEC for what he described as the commission’s professionalism in handling the matter.

 

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He also called on the judiciary to determine the party’s appeal in accordance with the law.

ADC Also Receives Access Code

In a related development, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC)  has confirmed receipt of its own access code from INEC for the upload of its candidates’ names for the 2027 elections.

The confirmation was made by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who told Daily Trust: “We have received the access codes for the various offices from the Independent National Electoral Commission since last week.”

The ADC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since the emergence of its current National Working Committee under the leadership of former Senate President David Mark.

A former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, has publicly faulted the process that produced Senator Mark and other leaders.

On Monday, a former vice president and presidential candidate of the ADC alleged a fresh plot by unnamed persons to prevent the party from participating in the forthcoming elections.

What This Means

The NDC’s decision to proceed with candidate uploads despite the adverse court ruling represents a significant legal gamble. If the appeal succeeds and the stay of execution is granted, the party will have met INEC’s submission deadlines. If the appeal fails, the uploaded names could be rendered void.

For Peter Obi, whose presidential bid under the Labour Party in 2023 attracted significant youth support, the move to the NDC platform represents a new chapter in his political career. Whether that chapter will survive the ongoing legal storm remains an open