An Imo North senatorial aspirant, Isaac Nwachukwu, has dragged the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court in Owerri, seeking to be declared the party’s authentic candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Nwachukwu, in a suit filed on Wednesday through his counsel, Cajethan J. Oguzie, accused the NDC of unlawfully substituting his name with another aspirant despite his emergence as the consensus candidate and substantial financial contributions to the party.
According to court documents, Nwachukwu paid ₦25 million to the NDC ₦20 million as party support and ₦5 million for the nomination/expression of interest form for the Imo North Senatorial District ticket.
He claimed that after being screened, cleared, and ratified as the consensus candidate, his name was inexplicably replaced.
Key reliefs sought by the plaintiff include:
A declaration that he is the rightful consensus candidate of the NDC for the Imo North Senatorial Zone ahead of the 2027 election.
An order restraining the NDC from fielding any other candidate for the zone.
A perpetual injunction restraining INEC from recognising or accepting the candidacy of any other person except Nwachukwu for the position.
In an affidavit in support of the originating summons, Nwachukwu alleged irregularities in the handling of funds, claiming that his ₦20 million contribution was wrongly allocated to another aspirant, Matthew Omegara, while Omegara’s payment was credited to him.
He stated that he participated fully in the party’s screening exercise and was declared the winner of the primary process before the substitution occurred.
The aspirant further claimed that he was invited to a meeting by the NDC’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, where he was informed that some Imo State party leaders considered him not popular enough to fly the party’s flag.
When contacted, the NDC’s Imo State spokesperson, Dr Charles Akano, said he needed authorisation from party leaders before commenting on the matter. He later stated that he had not yet received approval to speak on the issue.
The case is seen as one of the early legal tussles within the relatively new NDC as opposition parties position themselves for the 2027 polls. The court is yet to fix a hearing date.
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