A legal practitioner, Obunike Calistus Ohaegbu, has sued the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged failure of the party’s leadership to announce the result of its primary election for the Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency of Anambra State.
Ohaegbu filed the suit to compel the NDC to officially declare the outcome of the primary election held in May 2026 to select its candidate for the constituency ahead of the 2027 general election.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1219/26, has five defendants. They are the NDC, Dr Ebere Onunkwo, Dr Socrates Ebo, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Peter Uzokwe.
The plaintiff claimed that he took part in the primary election and secured the highest number of valid votes cast by delegates.
According to his case, the party did not announce the result at the venue of the election. He further alleged that the NDC later adopted Onunkwo as its candidate for the federal constituency without declaring the result, contrary to the guidelines set for the primary.
Ohaegbu is therefore asking the court to order the NDC to formally declare him the winner of the primary conducted for the Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency.
He is also seeking an order directing the party to submit his name and other required details to INEC and upload them as the party’s duly nominated candidate for the 2027 election in the constituency.
The plaintiff further wants the court to stop the NDC, its officials, agents or representatives from submitting or recognising another person as its candidate for the federal constituency.
He also asked the court to restrain INEC from accepting, recognising, publishing or acting on the name of any person other than him as the NDC candidate for the constituency.
At Monday’s proceedings, the court could not begin hearing the case after it was discovered that the second, third and fifth defendants had not received the required hearing notices and were not present in court.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Ifeanyi Nrilike, told Justice Mohammed Garba Umar that the parties had filed and exchanged the necessary court processes.
However, the judge directed that fresh hearing notices be served on the defendants who were absent to ensure they were informed of the proceedings and could appear in court.
Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until October 14, 2026, for hearing. The judge also ordered that evidence showing that all the parties had been served with the hearing notices must be presented before the next hearing date.