NDC appeals court ruling voiding registration as INEC restores portal for candidate uploads

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has appealed the Federal High Court judgment that nullified its registration as a political party, while confirming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored the party’s access to its candidate nomination portal.

The development allows the party to continue uploading the names of its candidates for the 2027 general elections pending the determination of its appeal.

National leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, announced the decision in a statement shared on his X account on Monday, saying the party had filed a notice of appeal alongside an application for a stay of execution of the Lokoja court judgment.

According to Dickson, the appeal and accompanying applications have been served on INEC with a request for the electoral commission to act in accordance with the law while the legal process continues.

He expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the lower court’s decision and reaffirm the party’s registration.

Dickson disclosed that INEC has restored the NDC’s access to its online portal for candidate nominations, enabling the party to proceed with the submission of names in line with the commission’s timetable.

He revealed that his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded to the INEC portal, while the vice-presidential candidate’s details would be uploaded after the completion of the required documentation.

The former Bayelsa State governor added that the party had also begun uploading the names of candidates contesting the National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

He assured members and supporters that there was no cause for concern, noting that the NDC remained within the deadlines set by INEC for candidate submissions.

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According to him, political parties have until July 11 to submit the names of candidates for the National Assembly elections, while governorship and State House of Assembly candidates must be uploaded by July 17.

Dickson also addressed concerns arising from the party’s primary elections, acknowledging that the exercises were not without challenges.

He said reconciliation efforts had already begun to unite aggrieved aspirants and members, assuring them that everyone who participated in the primaries would be integrated into the party’s campaign structures, committees and other political activities.

The NDC leader thanked Nigerians for their continued support and urged INEC, the judiciary and security agencies to remain impartial in carrying out their constitutional responsibilities.

He said that with the appeal and related applications now before the courts, the judiciary had the responsibility to determine the dispute in accordance with the law.

The latest legal battle follows a ruling by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, presided over by Justice Isah Dashen, which set aside its earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party.

Justice Dashen held that the earlier judgment was constitutionally defective because all necessary parties were not heard before the decision was delivered.

The court agreed with the Peace Movement Party (PMP) that it had a legal interest in the matter and ought to have been joined in the proceedings before the judgment compelling INEC to register the NDC was delivered.

The judge further ruled that material facts had not been fully disclosed during the earlier proceedings and ordered that the substantive suit should commence afresh with INEC, the NDC and the PMP joined as parties.

Despite the legal setback, Dickson maintained that the NDC complied with all constitutional and statutory requirements for registration and expressed optimism that the Court of Appeal would overturn the lower court’s ruling.

The registration dispute has become one of the most closely watched political cases ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the outcome could shape the participation of the NDC and its candidates in the electoral process.

NDC appeals court ruling voiding registration as INEC restores portal for candidate uploads

Peter Obi Can’t Defeat Tinubu in Lagos Again, Not a Threat — Sunday Dare

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has dismissed suggestions that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, poses a political threat to the Tinubu administration, insisting that the government stands on a “solid ground of performance” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has dismissed suggestions that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, poses a political threat to the Tinubu administration, insisting that the government is focused on delivering its mandate. Speaking during an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye on Saturday, Dare said the administration was not afraid of Obi, arguing that the government’s performance and policy initiatives had strengthened its position ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“This government is not afraid of Peter Obi. He is not a nightmare to our government. Maybe before, Peter Obi was a threat, but right now, he is no threat because we stand on the solid ground of performance,” Dare said. According to him, the administration has carefully examined the country’s challenges and is implementing policies and programmes aimed at addressing them. “We have been able to interrogate the problems of this country. Decisions are being taken, policies are being unfolded across the country, and we have a scorecard to show,” he added.

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Dare also criticised Obi’s public interventions, describing some of his comments and interviews as lacking clarity and coherence. “Peter Obi is not a nightmare. Maybe you replace nightmare with nuisance because if you see some of his reactions, they are very pedantic. Sometimes you wonder. You listen to some of his interviews, ask him a question, and he goes in a roundabout direction that does not make sense,” he said.

Dare also addressed the upcoming 2027 presidential election, maintaining that Obi would not be able to repeat his performance in Lagos State, where the former Labour Party candidate defeated Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. “Peter Obi defeated President Tinubu in Lagos in 2023. This is 2027; he can’t defeat Tinubu again in Lagos,” Dare declared.

In the 2023 election, Obi secured 582,454 votes in Lagos State, edging out Tinubu, who polled 572,606 votes — a margin of 9,848 votes. Tinubu won 11 local government areas while Obi won nine. Despite losing his home base, Tinubu ultimately won the national election with over 8.7 million votes to claim the presidency. His comments come amid growing political activity and early positioning by major parties and prospective candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. The statements also reflect the ruling party’s confidence in its electoral prospects despite the opposition’s efforts to build momentum.

Peter Obi Can’t Defeat Tinubu in Lagos Again, Not a Threat — Sunday Dare

APC Sweeps Gombe LG Polls, Wins All 24 Chairmanship, 240 Councillorship Seats

• The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a landslide victory in the Gombe State local government elections, winning all 24 chairmanship positions and all 240 councillorship seats contested across the state’s 11 Local Government Areas and 13 newly created Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). The ruling party’s clean sweep was announced on Saturday by the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC), marking a historic moment as the state conducted its first elections in the expanded 24-council structure.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed a clean sweep in the Gombe State local government elections, winning all 24 chairmanship positions and the 240 councillorship seats contested across the state. Announcing the outcome on Saturday in Gombe, Chairman of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC), Abdullahi Garba Talasse, declared that the ruling party emerged victorious in every local government area and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) where voting took place .

Talasse described the conduct of elections in the newly established LCDAs as a major step forward for democratic governance in the state. He noted that the creation of the additional councils expanded Gombe’s local government structure from 11 councils with 114 councillors to 24 councils and LCDAs with a total of 240 councillors. This expansion became possible after Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya approved the creation of 13 Local Council Development Areas to bring governance closer to the people and accelerate grassroots development.

According to the GOSIEC chairman, the electoral commission collaborated with the State House of Assembly to ensure the legal framework required to conduct elections in the new LCDAs was put in place. “We met, made our suggestions to him, and His Excellency graciously approved them. We also visited other states, including Lagos, where elections had already been conducted using LCDAs, and after studying their experiences, we returned and secured the necessary enabling law through the house of assembly,” he explained .

“We did not struggle for the enabling law in vain. Today, we have successfully conducted elections across the 24 councils and LCDAs, which is a significant achievement for the state,” he said .

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The GOSIEC chairman linked the opposition parties’ poor performance to their limited participation in the elections. He explained that while multiple political parties participated in the exercise, only the APC fielded candidates in all 24 councils. The African Action Congress (AAC) fielded chairmanship candidates in only three local government areas, while the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) contested six chairmanship positions. The New Nigeria People’s Movement (NRM), Youth Party (YP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) each fielded candidates in three chairmanship races.

For the councillorship elections, the African Congress contested in only eight wards, while the DLA, NRM, YP, and ZLP each sponsored candidates in 11 wards out of the 240 contested. “That explains why some parties recorded zero votes in several areas because they did not participate across all the councils and wards,” he stated.

The absence of major opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was notably conspicuous. The PDP cited lack of transparency in the electoral process as the reason for its boycott, while the ADC claimed it was not notified by GOSIEC to participate in the election. Efforts to obtain reactions from the PDP were unsuccessful as the party chairman neither answered telephone calls nor responded to text messages at the time of filing reports.

The elections were conducted across 114 wards and 2,988 polling units in the state, with Governor Inuwa Yahaya casting his vote at the Yahaya Umaru Polling Unit in Gombe local government area. The governor praised the peaceful and smooth conduct of the polls, noting that the entire exercise was free from major security issues. He described the peaceful atmosphere as proof of the maturity of voters and a sign of the dedication shown by everyone involved in upholding democratic traditions.

Announcing the outcome, the GOSIEC chairman declared that from the results before the commission, APC has won all the 24 chairmanship seats and all the 240 councillorship positions. He commended political parties, election observers, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media, and other stakeholders for their roles in ensuring a peaceful electoral process.

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He also expressed appreciation to party leaders, government officials, non-governmental organisations, and other visitors from different parts of the country who monitored the exercise, describing their contributions as vital to the successful conduct of the polls. “In conclusion, I thank His Excellency for providing us with the enabling environment. We also appreciate all political parties for their support, as well as the observers, NGOs, and members of the media who have been with us throughout this exercise. May God bless you all, and I wish everyone a safe journey back,” Garba added .

The Gombe State local government elections were hailed as a significant milestone in the state’s democratic evolution. The expansion of the local government structure from 11 to 24 councils represents one of the most ambitious administrative reforms undertaken by the Yahaya administration since assuming office. Governor Yahaya had consistently maintained that the creation of additional LCDAs was necessary to bring government services closer to rural communities and ensure more equitable distribution of resources across the state.

Political analysts have noted that the APC’s clean sweep in the Gombe LG polls reflects the party’s deep-rooted popularity in the state, which has been a stronghold of the ruling party since the 2019 general elections. The party has maintained a firm grip on the state’s political landscape, winning all major elective positions in previous elections. The absence of serious opposition participation further consolidated the APC’s dominance, leaving little room for competitive contestation.

The Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, had earlier expressed confidence in the electoral process and urged residents to come out en masse to exercise their civic rights. He emphasized the importance of grassroots participation in strengthening democracy and ensuring that local government councils remain accountable to the people. The governor also assured that his administration would continue to support democratic institutions and processes to deepen governance at all levels.

Voter turnout across the state was reported to be moderate, with many residents expressing satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the elections. Security was adequately provided across all polling units, with no major incidents of violence or electoral malpractice reported. The presence of security personnel, including the police and civil defence corps, helped maintain order and ensure that voters cast their ballots without intimidation or harassment.

The GOSIEC has been commended for its professionalism and commitment to conducting credible elections despite the challenges posed by the expansion of councils. The commission was praised for ensuring that all necessary logistics, including the deployment of electoral materials and personnel, were effectively managed to ensure a smooth voting process.

Civil society organisations and election observers have called for continued reforms to strengthen the electoral process in Gombe State, including enhancing the participation of opposition parties and ensuring greater transparency in future elections. They also urged political parties to engage constructively with the electoral commission to address any concerns and improve the overall quality of the electoral process.

The successful conduct of the Gombe State local government elections reinforces the importance of local government autonomy and grassroots democracy in Nigeria’s governance framework. As the newly elected chairmen and councillors prepare to assume office, expectations are high that they will deliver tangible development and improved services to their communities.

APC Sweeps Gombe LG Polls, Wins All 24 Chairmanship, 240 Councillorship Seats