•Peter Obi flies NDC flag
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it has begun issuing access codes to registered political parties to enable them submit the names of their candidates for the 2027 general elections through its online nomination portal.
The Commission said the access codes are being issued only to political parties that have formally requested them, reports Daily Trust.
Attempts by our correspondent to ascertain the number of parties that have applied for and received the codes were unsuccessful, as most declined to comment.
Sources said many parties are still compiling their candidates’ lists, while others are grappling with internal factional disputes and are engaging the commission to resolve related issues.
However, it was learnt yesterday that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) insists it remains a registered political party and is expecting to receive the access code to upload the names of its candidates.
Party sources said the NDC, having concluded its presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly primaries, has been making efforts to obtain the code from INEC.
Recall that following last Friday’s Federal High Court judgment ordering the party’s deregistration, INEC said it would await the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment before taking any action.
As of yesterday, however, the party had yet to receive the access code because of issues arising from the court judgment.
A source within the party told our correspondent that the leadership had received neither the access code nor the nomination forms from INEC.
“I cannot say whether the party has been denied the access code or whether the process is simply incomplete. What is certain is that as of 3 p.m. on Monday, we are yet to receive the code,” the source said.
The party’s Deputy National Spokesperson, Abdulmumin Ohiare Abdulsalam, did not respond to enquiries on whether the NDC had been granted the access code to upload the names of its successful candidates.
He, however, said the party had commenced the process of appealing the Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja, adding that its legal team had already been briefed.
Asked whether the appeal had been filed or whether the party had secured a stay of execution, Abdulsalam replied: “I am not on the legal team.”
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, declined to comment on reports that the NDC had been denied an access code.
“I don’t have that information,” she said.
On the court judgment, Eta-Messi said the Commission had yet to take a position.
“Until it studies the judgment, it will take a decision on that,” she said.
She added that INEC was still awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before taking any action.
“That was on Friday. I don’t know if they’ve received the CTC. If they have, they’ll study it and then take a decision,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party confirmed that it had received its access code and had begun uploading the names of its nominated candidates to the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP).
The party’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Spokesman, Ken Eluma Asogwa, disclosed this in a WhatsApp chat with our correspondent yesterday.
“The party collected the access code today and has started the process of uploading the list of its nominated candidates,” Asogwa said.
The development comes as political parties begin preparations for the submission of candidates’ particulars for the 2027 general elections in line with INEC’s timetable.
The Commission had earlier confirmed to Daily Trust that it had commenced issuing nomination portal access codes to political parties that formally requested them.
The access codes enable parties to upload the names and particulars of their candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal using the prescribed Forms EC 09 and EC 09A-G, in line with the commission’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
Under Section 28 of the guidelines, political parties are required to use the access codes issued by the commission to submit candidates’ nomination forms and other required documents electronically within the timelines stipulated in INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities.
The Electoral Act 2026 also requires every political party to submit the list of candidates it intends to sponsor not later than 120 days before the date fixed for a general election.
Dickson insists party will be on 2027 ballot
National leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, has insisted that the court judgment will not stop the party from participating in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics today, Dickson said the suit that resulted in the judgment was instituted by an association that lacked the legal standing to challenge the party, adding that the NDC had already commenced legal steps to overturn the ruling.
He also expressed confidence that INEC would allow the party to field its candidates, saying the nomination process was already underway.
“What people are trying to do is to look for flimsy reasons to truncate the political opposition, destabilise and weaken it. Political players, for fear of going through elections and competition, are putting the judiciary in a very bad light,” he said.
Responding to concerns that the judgment could prevent the party from participating in the elections, Dickson said:
“NDC will be on the ballot. We have already concluded the process of nominating our candidates. INEC will not refuse us. We are applying for an injunction, and the right thing has to be done.”
He also dismissed reports that some members were considering leaving the party because of the court judgment.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said his party was yet to receive the access code.
“We are in the same situation as other parties. We understand INEC has not released the code to any party. We are waiting like every other party,” he said.
However, this appears to contradict the Labour Party’s confirmation that it had already received its access code from INEC.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were unsuccessful, as the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, neither answered calls nor responded to text messages sent by our correspondent.
When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Jungudo Haruna Mohammed promised that he will confirm from those in charge before getting back to our correspondent.
Lawyers advise NDC
Giving insights to what happened in Kogi, a constitutional lawyer, Barr. Peter Abang, in an interview with our correspondent, advised the party to approach the appellate regarding the order given by the Federal High Court.
The lawyer said, “The main option for the party (NDC) is to approach the Appeal Court to settle any matter or decision that must have been made by the Federal High Court, Kogi. There is a whole lot attached with it.”
Abang stated that it was expedient for the party to study the High Court judgment in details in order to have a good case before a three-man panel at the appellate court.
Another lawyer, Festus Ogun lamented, “ADC is crippled with litigation. NDC is crippled with litigation AA is crippled with litigation ZLP is crippled with litigation PDP is finished with litigation Bola Tinubu wants to run without opposition.”
On his part, Omoyele Sowore while reacting via his handle on X, said, “The coordinated assault on Nigerians’ right to political participation under Tinubu’s era of morontocracy is now complete with the court-ordered deregistration of the NDC.
