National Democratic Coalition (NDC) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declined its request for the access code required to upload the names of its candidates to the commission’s nomination portal, as the party prepares to challenge a recent court judgment ordering its deregistration.
The development comes in the wake of a Federal High Court judgment directing INEC to deregister the NDC, a ruling that has cast uncertainty over the party’s legal status and its ability to participate in forthcoming elections.
Speaking on the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, said the party had approached INEC to obtain the access code needed to complete the online submission of its candidates, but was unable to secure it.
According to him, officials of the electoral commission informed the party that they would “get back” to them, leaving the NDC unable to complete the mandatory upload before the court’s deregistration order.
“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,” the director said.
He argued that the party’s inability to upload its candidates should not be interpreted as a failure on its part, insisting that the delay resulted from the commission’s refusal to provide the necessary access credentials.
The NDC spokesperson disclosed that the party would return to INEC to make another request while simultaneously taking legal steps to suspend the enforcement of the court judgment.
“We will go back there by tomorrow. I believe by tomorrow we must have filed a stay of execution in court,” he stated.
According to him, the party’s legal team has already commenced the process of filing a stay of execution, a move aimed at preventing the immediate implementation of the judgment pending the determination of an appeal.
The Federal High Court’s decision to deregister the NDC has generated debate over the party’s political future and its eligibility to sponsor candidates for future elections.
The judgment has also placed renewed attention on the legal and administrative processes governing political party registration and participation in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Should the court grant the party’s application for a stay of execution, the status quo may be preserved until the appeal is heard. However, until such relief is granted, the deregistration order is expected to remain in force.
The dispute also raises broader questions about the interaction between judicial decisions and electoral administration, particularly where political parties are required to meet statutory deadlines for candidate nominations while litigation is ongoing.
The director maintained that the NDC remains committed to exhausting all legal avenues to overturn the judgment and protect the rights of its members and supporters.
The outcome of the planned court action is expected to determine whether the NDC can retain its legal status and continue participating in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of future elections.
