Aggrieved Aspirants Sue INEC and NDC Over Alleged Candidate Substitutions Ahead of 2027
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have been dragged before separate Federal High Court divisions by aggrieved party aspirants alleging unlawful substitution of their names as duly nominated candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, even as the party’s national leadership has separately accused INEC of swapping out its candidates nationwide with names it says it never authorised.
In one of the cases, businessman Tunde Pratt filed suit before the Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Aluko, alleging that his name as the NDC’s candidate for the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency was unlawfully substituted with that of one Tunji Sanni. Pratt, who claims to have won the party’s primary election for the seat, is seeking a declaration that the substitution is illegal, null and void, along with an order directing INEC to restore his name to the ballot. In a supporting affidavit, Pratt said he discovered the alleged substitution on August 1, 2026, and moved quickly to challenge it, citing Section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution, which he said gave him an absolute maximum of 14 days from discovery to file the action. He told the court that the substitution had already caused him concrete harm, alleging that being locked out of INEC’s nomination portal had left him unable to print campaign posters, mobilise political structures or launch his campaign. He further urged the court to expedite the hearing, warning that INEC could print final ballot papers bearing the substituted candidate’s name before judgment is delivered, which would render any eventual ruling in his favour meaningless.
In a separate but similar case, cleric and businessman Okwudili Ossai, popularly known as Bishop Oscar, sued INEC, the NDC and a rival aspirant identified as Asadu before the Federal High Court in Abuja, over the alleged substitution of his name as the party’s candidate for the Enugu North Senatorial District. Ossai contends that he won the NDC’s senatorial primary for the district, held on May 29, 2026, and has submitted documentation, including the party’s own affidavit affirming his candidacy, in support of his claim that the subsequent submission of Asadu’s name to INEC was unlawful. The suit, filed through his legal team led by F. M. Nworah, directed the defendants to enter appearance within seven days of being served, with counter-affidavits due within 10 days under the applicable 2026 Practice Direction.
The individual lawsuits come against the backdrop of a broader dispute between the NDC and INEC over candidate nominations more generally. In a statement issued Sunday, August 30, NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, accused INEC of publishing names on its candidate portal for the 2027 State Houses of Assembly elections that the party said it never authorised or uploaded, with the disputed names reportedly concentrated in Anambra State, the home state of NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, alongside additional discrepancies flagged in Benue, Imo and other states. Zuwoghe insisted that neither he, as custodian of the party’s INEC portal access code, nor any other authorised NDC official had submitted the disputed names, and called on the INEC chairman to investigate how they came to appear on the commission’s published list. He said the party would pursue the matter through the courts to have its authentic candidates restored, and urged members of the public and NDC supporters to disregard the disputed names.
As of the time of reporting, INEC had not issued a public response to the specific allegations raised in either the individual court cases or the party’s broader claims, and the matters remain pending before the Federal High Court as the 2027 election cycle continues to gather pace.
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