Tension as NDC Dragged to Court in New Development
- Hon. Ejaife Omizu Odebala filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the outcome of the NDC Delta State governorship primary
- Odebala claims he scored 15,454 votes against the 1st respondent's 12,015 votes in the May 29, 2026 primary election
- The case is before Justice Obiora Egwuatu and is scheduled to continue on September 7, 2026
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A Delta State politician has taken legal action against the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and four others over the result of the party's governorship primary election.
Hon. Ejaife Omizu Odebala filed the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1636/2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the court to declare him the rightful winner of the NDC Delta State governorship primary held on May 29, 2026.
Source: Twitter
This Day reported that the suit, dated July 29, 2026, was filed by a legal team led by Fredricks Itula, SAN. The respondents are Chris Iyavwoye, the NDC, INEC, Alice Ogba, Hon. Francis Atanomeyovwi, and Ogbo Johnson, named as the first to sixth respondents, respectively.
What Odebala is asking the court to do
Odebala is seeking a court declaration that the NDC cannot lawfully submit the name of any other person, including that of the 1st respondent, Chris Iyavwoye, to INEC as the party's candidate for the 2027 Delta State governorship election. He wants the court to compel the NDC and INEC to replace any name already submitted with his own.
He also wants an order stopping Iyavwoye from presenting himself as the NDC's governorship candidate.
In his supporting affidavit, Odebala said the party conducted the primary in 24 of the state's 25 local government areas, and that results were collated at the LGA level. However, he argued that no final collation was carried out at the state level and that the NDC did not submit any final collated results to INEC on the day of the primary.
He said his agents monitored the process at each LGA, and that he expected to be declared the winner, but the party did not do so. According to him, a proper collation of votes, including figures from Ughelli North, Okpe, and Isoko North LGAs, would give him a total of 15,454 votes against Iyavwoye's 12,015 votes.
Court to hear case in September
His legal team argued that Odebala would be "greatly prejudiced" if INEC unlawfully recognises the 1st respondent as the NDC's governorship candidate, and urged the court to rule in his favour on the basis that he polled the highest number of votes.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu is presiding over the matter, which is adjourned to September 7, 2026, for further proceedings.
Peter Obi, who joined the NDC as its presidential candidate following his resignation from the African Democratic Congress on May 2, 2026, and his ratification by the party on May 29, 2026, leads the NDC's ticket for the 2027 general elections.
Source: Legit.ng
