The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been denied access codes by the Independent National Electoral Commission to upload its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The lockout could threaten the ambitions of former 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, who were recently ratified as the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, alongside a host of other politicians who followed them to the party.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the crisis follows a Federal High Court judgment ordering the commission to deregister the party, throwing its legal status into doubt at a highly critical moment ahead of the election period.
The development coincides with an adjustment to the election timeline, as the commission shifted the general release of portal access codes from Friday, June 26, to Monday, June 29, to ensure a smooth uploading process for eligible parties. Under the revised 2027 timetable, the window for submitting presidential and National Assembly nominations runs from June 27 to July 11, 2026, followed by governorship and state assembly submissions from July 18 to August 8, 2026. This allows candidate credentials to be published for public scrutiny in August, ahead of public campaigns and the final elections in early 2027.
However, given the standing court ruling, it remains highly uncertain if the party will be allowed to participate if the judgement isn’t vacated.
Confirming the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Osa Director, revealed that their official request for the credentials was turned down by electoral officials.
“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,” the director said.
He defended the party, arguing that their inability to upload candidates is not a failure on their part but a direct result of the commission’s refusal to provide the necessary access.
To prevent immediate implementation of the deregistration order, the party is now launching a swift legal challenge while continuing to press the commission.
“We will go back there by tomorrow. I believe by tomorrow we must have filed a stay of execution in court,” Director stated.