By The Metro 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to begin submitting the names of its candidates despite the legal dispute over its status.
National Leader of the party, Senator Seriake Dickson, disclosed on Tuesday that his nomination and that of the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had already been uploaded, while the vice-presidential candidate’s details would be submitted after the necessary documentation is completed.
Dickson also urged party members to remain calm, saying there was enough time to complete the nomination process before the deadlines set by INEC for National Assembly, governorship and state assembly candidates.
The former Bayelsa State governor attributed the restoration of the portal to the appeal and application for stay of execution filed by the party after last week’s Federal High Court judgment in Lokoja. He said the processes had been served on INEC, insisting the NDC remained a duly registered political party and that its primaries were conducted under the commission’s supervision.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria which has participated in all the political processes so far.
“Nomination processes have already been concluded and, in the eyes of the law, candidates have already emerged from the party for all offices across the country in primaries observed, monitored and recorded by INEC.”
Dickson said reconciliation efforts had begun to unite aspirants who were unsuccessful during the primaries, assuring them they would be involved in the party’s campaigns and other activities.
He also commended INEC for what he described as its professionalism and expressed confidence that the judiciary would determine the appeal in accordance with the law.
The NDC had appealed the Federal High Court judgment that raised questions over its registration, maintaining that the ruling neither dissolved nor deregistered the party and that it remains legally recognised pending the outcome of the appeal.