The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that it has uploaded the name of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal after filing an appeal and a stay of execution against a court judgment ordering the party’s deregistration.

The party’s National Leader, Seriake Dickson, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the appeal and accompanying application had been served on the INEC Chairman, with a request for the commission to act in line with the law.

Dickson insisted that the NDC remains a legally registered political party, stressing that it has participated in all electoral processes and successfully conducted its primary elections under INEC’s supervision.

According to him, the party was granted access to the INEC portal to submit the names of its candidates for the 2027 general elections. He revealed that both his name and that of Obi had already been uploaded, while the vice-presidential candidate’s details would be submitted once the necessary documentation is completed.

The former Bayelsa State governor noted that the party remains within INEC’s electoral timetable, adding that submissions for National Assembly candidates will close on July 11, while governorship and state assembly candidates have until July 17 to complete their submissions.

He also urged party members to remain calm, assuring them that there was no cause for concern despite the court ruling. Dickson said reconciliation efforts had commenced following the conclusion of the party’s primaries and promised that unsuccessful aspirants would be accommodated in the party’s campaign structures and committees.

He maintained that the courts would ultimately determine the next course of action following the filing of the appeal and stay of execution application.

“Today, the NDC has filed an appeal against the ruling as well as a stay of execution, which has been served on the INEC chairman and his team to do what is right according to law and what is legally sensible,” Dickson said.

He added that candidates for elective offices across the country had already emerged through primaries monitored and recorded by INEC, describing the submission of names to the commission as a routine administrative process.

“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria. Nomination processes have already been concluded and, in the eyes of the law, candidates have emerged for all offices across the country in primaries observed, monitored and recorded by INEC.

“What is left is the administrative process of submitting the names to INEC, and we have been granted access to the portal to upload our qualified candidates,” he stated.