The National Democratic Coalition (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of preventing it from uploading the names of its candidates by failing to provide the access code required to use the commission’s nomination portal.
The allegation comes days after a Federal High Court ordered the deregistration of the NDC, a ruling that has thrown the party’s political future into uncertainty as it prepares to challenge the judgment.
Speaking on the development, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the NDC approached INEC to obtain the access code needed to complete the online submission of its candidates but was told the commission would “get back” to the party.
“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,” he said.
According to the party, the inability to upload its candidates should not be interpreted as a failure on its part, insisting that the delay resulted from INEC’s refusal to provide the necessary access credentials.
The NDC spokesperson disclosed that the party would return to the electoral commission to renew its request while simultaneously pursuing legal action to halt the implementation 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.
He added that the party’s legal team had already commenced the process of filing a stay of execution to prevent the immediate enforcement of the deregistration order pending the determination of its appeal.
The Federal High Court’s judgment has sparked debate over the NDC’s legal status and its eligibility to sponsor candidates in future elections, while also drawing attention to the relationship between judicial decisions and electoral administration.
The party maintained that it remains committed to exhausting all legal avenues to overturn the ruling 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.
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