Court Sacks Onyeagucha as NDC Candidate, Orders Recognition of Uche Nwole for Imo East

The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the nomination of Hon. Onyeagucha Uchechukwu as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Imo East Senatorial District in the 2027 general election, directing the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Uche Nwole as its duly elected candidate.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who delivered the judgment, also ordered INEC to publish Nwole’s name as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 election.

The court held that evidence before it established that Nwole won the party’s primary election, which was monitored by INEC. It ruled that the NDC was required to submit his name to the electoral commission in line with the Electoral Act 2026.

Nwole had approached the court after alleging that, despite securing the highest number of valid votes in the primary, the party sidelined him and selected Onyeagucha as its candidate.

In suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1225/2026, filed against the NDC, INEC and Onyeagucha, the plaintiff sought seven principal reliefs, all of which were granted by the court.

Justice Umar held that having conducted a primary election in accordance with the law, the party could not abandon its outcome and substitute the winner with a consensus candidate.

The court further ruled that the NDC must comply with its constitution, internal guidelines, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

It consequently ordered the party to immediately forward Nwole’s name to INEC as its candidate for the senatorial district.

The judge also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the NDC from submitting any other candidate for the election. INEC was equally barred from accepting or publishing the name of any alternative NDC candidate whose emergence or nomination contravened the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

The judgment was based on provisions of Sections 84, 86 and 87 of the Electoral Act 2026, which the court considered in determining the validity of the party’s primary election and subsequent nomination process.