Oct 15, 2026

Dickson Assures NDC Candidates: INEC Omission Will Be Fixed Promptly

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in politics

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Abuja, Nigeria—15 October 2026—Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has moved to calm party supporters and candidates after some of their names were left out of the latest list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement released on Thursday via his official X account, Dickson assured the party faithful that the NDC leadership had already taken concrete steps to resolve the issue and was engaging the electoral umpire for an immediate remedy.

“Our candidates and supporters are assured that the party has been working diligently and has taken adequate steps to address the cases of those whose names were not published by INEC a few days ago,” he said.

Dickson emphasized that every affected candidate had registered with the party well before the statutory 21-day period required by law.

He described the non-publication as an “apparent omission” that INEC should correct without delay.

“We urge INEC to remedy this apparent omission promptly,” the former Bayelsa State governor stated. “From the Presidential election to the State Houses of Assembly, the NDC has fielded qualified candidates who emerged through a rigorous and painstaking screening process. We are confident that INEC will correct this omission without delay.”

The intervention comes amid growing concerns within several political parties over missing names on INEC’s published lists for the 2027 general elections.

While the presidential and National Assembly lists were earlier released, recent publications covering governorship and State House of Assembly candidates left out several aspirants from the NDC and other parties in different states.

Dickson, however, insisted that the NDC had complied fully with the nomination process. He noted that the party’s candidates were products of thorough internal screening and that the leadership remained focused on ensuring no qualified aspirant was unfairly shut out.

In the meantime, he directed party structures across the country to continue their political activities without interruption.

“In the meantime, consultations, town hall meetings, mobilization, and campaigns should continue unabated in all states and constituencies,” he said. “We will continue to fight without giving up until we are victorious. NDC all the way.”

The statement reflects the NDC’s determination to maintain momentum despite administrative hurdles as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.

Party sources say the leadership has already opened formal channels with INEC to regularize the affected candidacies and is optimistic of a swift resolution.

Political observers note that similar omissions have affected candidates of other parties, including the PDP and ADC in some states, with several of those parties also petitioning the commission.

INEC has previously given parties a window to notify it of any perceived errors in the published lists.

For the NDC, Dickson’s message was both a reassurance to its base and a public call on the electoral body to act quickly.

As campaigns gather pace, the party’s ability to keep its full slate of candidates on the ballot remains critical to its ambitions in what is expected to be a highly competitive election cycle.

Supporters and candidates have been urged to stay focused on grassroots mobilization while the party works with INEC behind the scenes to clear the outstanding issues.