According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the NDC had gone to INEC with a clear request for the login credentials that would allow it to complete the mandatory candidate submission online. But instead of getting a quick response, the party was told to wait. Officials at the commission said they would get back to the NDC, a response that left the party unable to meet the timeline for uploads before the court’s order took effect.
Osa Director explained that the situation should not be read as negligence or inaction on the part of the NDC. He argued that the real obstacle is INEC’s failure to provide the access credentials needed to use the portal. Without that code, he said, the party was effectively locked out of the process, even though it had its list of candidates ready. The spokesperson insisted that the blame lies with the commission’s delay, not with the party’s preparedness.
The timing could not be worse for the NDC. The Federal High Court had earlier directed INEC to deregister the coalition, a ruling that immediately raised questions about whether the party can field candidates in any upcoming elections. With the 2027 election cycle already shaping political calculations, the inability to access the nomination portal now threatens to shut the NDC out of the race entirely if the court decision stands.
Faced with that reality, the party says it is taking a two-track approach. First, it plans to return to INEC the next day to make another formal request for the access code. At the same time, its legal team is preparing to file for a stay of execution. The goal is to pause the enforcement of the deregistration judgment while an appeal is heard, so the party does not lose its legal standing before it has a chance to argue its case.
Osa Director expressed confidence that the stay of execution would be filed promptly. He noted that the legal process had already begun and that the party is determined to exhaust every available remedy. For the NDC, the immediate priority is to prevent the judgment from being implemented while the appeal is pending. If the court grants that relief, the party could maintain its status and continue preparations for future polls. If not, the deregistration order would remain in force and could effectively end the NDC’s participation in the electoral process.
Beyond the NDC’s specific case, the dispute has drawn attention to how Nigeria’s electoral and legal systems interact when a party faces litigation close to nomination deadlines. Political parties are required by law to submit candidate names through INEC’s portal within set timelines. But when a court case is ongoing and access to the portal is delayed, it creates a difficult situation where administrative bottlenecks can have major political consequences.
The NDC maintains that it is being unfairly disadvantaged at a time when it should be focusing on organizing and campaigning. The party insists it is not seeking special treatment, only the same access that other registered parties have to complete a routine but crucial step. Its leaders say they remain committed to protecting the rights of members and supporters, and to ensuring that the coalition is not excluded from the democratic process because of procedural hurdles.
For now, all eyes are on INEC’s next move and on the court’s response to the NDC’s application for a stay. The outcome will determine whether the coalition keeps its legal status and stays in contention ahead of 2027, or whether the deregistration order ends its run before the campaign season truly begins.
