Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to promptly submit the name of Uche Nwole to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its officially elected candidate for the Imo East senatorial district in the 2027 general election.
This ruling was issued during a judgment in a case brought against the NDC, INEC, and Hon. Onyeagucha Uchechukwu. The court confirmed that the NDC must forward Nwole’s name without delay, citing that he was the candidate selected during the party’s primary election, which was properly monitored by INEC and conducted in accordance with specific sections of the Electoral Act 2026.
Moreover, the court instructed INEC to accept and publish Nwole’s name in the final list of candidates for the Imo East senatorial seat.
A perpetual injunction was also placed on the NDC, prohibiting it from nominating or submitting any alternative names for the position. Additionally, the court barred INEC from accepting any candidates from the NDC who reportedly emerged from a non-compliant primary election or from any consensus candidate whose nomination violated electoral regulations.
In its findings, the court verified that the primary elections were conducted in accordance with the law and determined that the NDC could not lawfully nominate a consensus candidate for the Imo East Senate seat. Furthermore, it acknowledged that Nwole had met all necessary statutory requirements to participate in the primary and qualify as the party’s candidate.
