Orette Seeks ₦1bn Damages From INEC Over Omission From Candidates’ List

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) senatorial candidate for Delta South, Dr Austin Orette, is seeking ₦1 billion in punitive damages from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of his name from the list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 election.

Orette accused the commission of reckless conduct, alleging that its action had disrupted his campaign and violated his rights as the party’s candidate.

Speaking on Sunday at Asaba , after arriving from Abuja, he said his political opponents were using the omission to tell voters that he would not participate in the election.

In his suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, Orette is asking the court to intervene and compel INEC to recognise him as the ADC’s candidate for the senatorial election.

He said the party conducted its primary election on May 22, 2026, through the direct primary method, in which he emerged as the winner with 10,950 votes.

According to him, he was the sole aspirant and subsequently completed the relevant nomination forms, which were submitted to the ADC’s national secretariat for onward transmission to INEC.

Orette said INEC amended its election timetable on July 12, 2026, extending the deadline for political parties to submit candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections to July 14.

He alleged that the ADC forwarded his name to the commission on July 14 as its duly nominated candidate for the Delta South senatorial seat.

However, he said his name was missing when INEC published its list of senatorial candidates on September 12, 2026.

Orette said the omission had adversely affected his campaign, adding that he had visited six of the eight local government areas in the district to solicit votes before suspending campaign activities over the matter.

He accused INEC of failing to maintain neutrality in the electoral process.

Orette urged the court to intervene, arguing that INEC was obligated to publish his name after receiving the party’s nomination.

He warned that his participation in the election could be jeopardised if the court did not resolve the dispute urgently.