Deregistration: NDC uploads Peter Obi’s name on INEC portal as party files stay of execution

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, said it has uploaded the name of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, portal after filing an appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a court judgment ordering the party’s deregistration.

National Leader of the NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the party had served the appeal and accompanying application on the INEC Chairman and urged the electoral body to act in accordance with the law.

Dickson maintained that the NDC remained a duly registered political party, noting that it had participated in all electoral processes and concluded its primary elections under INEC’s supervision.

According to him, the party had been granted access to the INEC portal to upload the names of its candidates for the 2027 general elections.

He said the names of both himself and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had been uploaded to the portal, while that of the vice-presidential candidate would be submitted upon completion of the necessary documentation.

The former Bayelsa State governor added that the party remains within the timetable released by INEC, stating that submissions for National Assembly candidates will close on July 11, while those for governorship and state assembly candidates will end on July 17.

Dickson also appealed to party members to remain calm, saying there was no cause for panic as the reconciliation process had begun following the conclusion of the party’s primaries. He assured unsuccessful aspirants that they would be accommodated in the party’s campaign structures and committees.

According to him, with the appeal and stay of execution application now before the courts, the judiciary will determine the next course of action in accordance with the law.

“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 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, and, as I said yesterday, 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,” part of the statement read.