The NDC has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of denying it the access code needed to upload the names of its candidates to the commission’s nomination portal, a development the party says contributed to its current legal predicament.
The party’s National Spokesman, Osa Director, confirmed the standoff, saying officials visited INEC to collect the credentials but left empty-handed. “We approached INEC to collect the access code to upload the names of our candidates to the INEC portal.
They told us that they will get back to us,” Director said. He was emphatic that the party’s failure to complete the upload process should not be read as negligence or disorganisation, insisting it was a direct consequence of the commission’s non-response.
The development comes as the NDC continues to face challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party alleging that the denial of the portal access code threatens the political aspirations of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso, and other party candidates.
A Registration Saga With Roots in December 2025
The NDC’s present difficulties did not emerge overnight. The party had originally secured registration after the Federal High Court ruled in December 2025 that INEC had violated its constitutional right to freedom of association by refusing to register it. That victory, however, was short-lived.
The same court later set aside its December 2025 ruling following an application by an association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which claimed ownership of the logo the NDC used in obtaining its registration.
The resulting judgment, delivered by Justice Isa H. Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, effectively ordered INEC to deregister the party, throwing its entire political future into question just as the nomination season opened.
Under INEC’s timetable, presidential and National Assembly candidates are expected to upload their nomination forms between June 27 and July 11, 2026, while governorship and state assembly candidates have from July 18 to August 8. The window is narrow, and every day without the access code is a day closer to exclusion.
NDC Vows to Fight Back
The party is refusing to go quietly. NDC National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe described the judgment as legally unsustainable, insisting it did not amount to a deregistration of the party and that the NDC would pursue all available legal remedies. He also assured members and candidates to remain calm and continue their campaigns.
On the legal strategy, Director confirmed a two-track approach. The party is launching a swift legal challenge while continuing to press the commission, with Director stating: “We will go back there by tomorrow. I believe by tomorrow we must have filed a stay of execution in court.”
As of the time of reporting, INEC had not publicly responded to the allegations made by the NDC regarding access to its nomination portal. The commission’s silence, combined with the ticking nomination clock, leaves the party’s 2027 ambitions hanging by a thread, with Peter Obi’s presidential bid potentially the most high-profile casualty if the standoff is not resolved swiftly.