Nomination Fee: NDC Senatorial Aspirant Drags Party, INEC To Court

A senatorial aspirant, Isaac Nwachukwu, has dragged Nigeria Democratic Congress (INEC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before a Federal High Court Sitting in Owerri, Imo State, over the failure of the party’s executives to field him as the candidate for Imo North.

Nwachukwu filed the suit on Wednesday through his counsel, C.J Oguzie, wherein he accused the party leaders of denying him its Imo North senatorial ticket after he emerged as a consensus candidate and asked to pay N5m for the nomination form.

He said he paid N20m for the support of the party but his support was reduced to N10m when the list of those who supported the party was published.

He prayed the court for a declaration that he be recognised as the standard bearer of the party for Imo North senatorial district during the general elections.

Part of the reliefs he sought was ” a declaration that the plaintiff in the suit is the consensus candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Imo State with regards to the candidate of the Imo North senatorial zone in the 2027 General election.

“A declaration that the first defendant (Nigeria Democratic Congress) be restrained from fielding another candidate except the plaintiff in the General election into the Imo North senatorial zone as he is the consensus candidate for the said election.

“A declaration that the second defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission) be perpetually restrained from recognizing and accepting the candidacy of another person except the plaintiff in the Imo North senatorial zone election pending the determination of the matter.”

Nwachukwu in his affidavit in support of the originating summon, said “that I purchased the expression of interest form to aspire for the position of Senate in the Imo North senatorial zone. A copy of my expression of interest form is here by annexed as exhibit IU2.

“That upon the purchase of the expression of interest form, I made a monetary contribution in support of the party’s growth in the tune of N20m into the party’s FCMB account number through my solicitor, Cajethan Oguzie. a copy of the receipt of N20m is hereby annexed as exhibit 1U3.

“That the first sign of regularity and no complaince with NDC constitution and electoral act came up when the N20m I paid for party support was allocated to one of the aspirants for my senatorial district by the name Matthew Omegara and the N10m that Matthew Omegara paid for party support was allocated to me by the screening committee headed by his excellent Sam Egwu and Buba Galadimma.

“That in compliance with NDC’s directives, I participated in the NDC screening exercise and was successfully cleared as an aspirant to participate in the primary election.

“That after my consensus candidacy was ratified, my name was shortlisted as a candidate for Imo North district. A copy of the result is hereby annexed as exhibit 1U5.”

The senatorial aspirant said his name was substituted with Omegara even after he had been declared the winner of primary election.

According to him, the National leader of the party, Seriake Dickson had summoned him for a meeting where he told him that a former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa complained to him through Peter Obi that he doesn’t know him and shouldn’t be fielded as the party’s candidate for Imo North senatorial district.

He wants the court to order NDC to issue him the certificate of return as its candidate for Imo North senatorial district.