Court Orders NDC to Submit Uche Nwole as Imo East Senatorial Candidate

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to submit Uche Nwole’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its duly elected candidate for the Imo East Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.

The order followed a suit instituted by Nwole against the NDC, INEC and Hon. Onyeagucha Uchechukwu.

Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Umar granted the reliefs sought by Nwole and directed the party to immediately forward his name to INEC as the winner of its senatorial primary election.

The court held that the primary election was duly monitored by INEC and conducted in compliance with Sections 84(1) and (2), and 86 of the Electoral Act 2026.

It also ordered INEC to immediately accept, enlist and publish Nwole’s name on the final list of candidates for the Imo East Senatorial District.

Furthermore, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the NDC from nominating or submitting any other candidate for the senatorial seat.

It equally restrained INEC from accepting, listing or publishing the name of any other purported NDC candidate who did not emerge from a primary election conducted and monitored by the commission.

The court also ruled against the adoption of any consensus candidate whose nomination violated Sections 87(1) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2026.

According to the judgment, the NDC had conducted primaries monitored by INEC for aspirants seeking its ticket for the Imo East senatorial seat.

The court held that having conducted the primary election, the party could not subsequently nominate a consensus candidate for the same position.

It further found that Nwole had satisfied all statutory requirements to participate in the direct primary and emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.