The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that it has successfully uploaded the name of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party also confirmed that it has filed an appeal against the recent Federal High Court ruling affecting its status, alongside an application seeking a stay of execution pending the determination of the appeal.
National Leader of the party, Senator Seriake Dickson, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, noting that the appeal documents had already been served on the Chairman of INEC and the commission.
Dickson said the party had now been granted access to INEC’s candidate nomination portal, enabling it to begin uploading the names of its candidates in accordance with the electoral timetable.
According to him, both his name as the party’s senatorial candidate and that of Peter Obi as the presidential candidate have already been uploaded to the commission’s portal.
He added that the name of the party’s vice-presidential candidate would be uploaded after the completion of the required documentation, while the submission of other candidates’ details is also ongoing.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered political party that has participated in all the electoral processes so far. Our primaries have been concluded, and in the eyes of the law, candidates have already emerged for all elective positions through exercises monitored by INEC,” Dickson said.
He explained that what remains is the administrative process of submitting candidates’ names to the electoral commission, stressing that the party remains within the timeframe provided by INEC.
Dickson noted that political parties have until July 11 to submit the names of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while nominations for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates will continue until July 17.
He urged party members and supporters not to panic, insisting there was sufficient time to complete the submission process.
The former Bayelsa State governor also acknowledged that disagreements arose during the party’s primaries due to the large number of aspirants but assured members that reconciliation efforts had commenced.
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According to him, unsuccessful aspirants would still play key roles in the party’s campaigns, committees and political structures.
Dickson thanked party members, supporters and Nigerians for standing by the NDC amid the legal challenge, describing the party as a growing political movement committed to preserving Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
He also commended INEC for what he described as its professionalism in handling the party’s registration and nomination process, expressing confidence that the commission would continue to act in accordance with the law.
The NDC leader maintained that the matter now rests with the judiciary following the filing of the appeal and accompanying applications.
“We have taken the necessary legal steps and served all relevant parties. The ball is now in the court of the judiciary, and we expect the courts to do what is right in accordance with the law,” he said.