Court Rules NDC Must Recognize Uche Nwole as Imo East Senatorial Candidate

A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Onyeagucha Uchechukwu as the senatorial candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Imo East. The court has directed the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Uche Nwole as the rightful candidate for the upcoming 2027 general election.

Justice Mohammed Umar stated that Uche Nwole was the legitimate winner of the primary election held by the NDC, which was monitored by INEC. The judge ordered INEC to publish Nwole’s name immediately, just as it does for candidates from other parties, ahead of the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The court found that the NDC could not nominate a different candidate who did not win the monitored primary election. Justice Umar issued a permanent order preventing the NDC from putting forward any other name for the election and barred INEC from accepting any candidate from the NDC who did not follow the proper election process.

This ruling came after a lawsuit where Nwole claimed he received the most valid votes in the primary election, but the party chose Uchechukwu as its candidate instead. The judge agreed with Nwole’s claims and granted all seven requests he made in the lawsuit.

In his judgment, Justice Umar emphasized that the NDC must adhere to its own rules and the Electoral Act, which governs the conduct of elections in Nigeria. The court’s decision reinforces the importance of following proper election procedures within political parties.