ENUGU NDC IN TURMOIL AS COURT DELIVERS BOMBSHELL, NULLIFIES SENATORIAL PRIMARY, ORDERS INEC TO DELIST UCHE ENEH

A political storm has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Enugu State following a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the party’s senatorial primary election for Enugu West and directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist Hon. Uche Eneh as its candidate.

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The ruling, delivered on Wednesday by Justice Segun-Bello in suit No. FHC/EN/C’S/153/2026, has further deepened the party’s internal crisis, raising fresh questions about the legitimacy of its candidate-selection process and the authority of its leadership.

The court’s decision followed a suit instituted by Barr. Ugochi Ohajekwe, who is aligned with the Dr. Johnpaul Anih-led Enugu State Working Committee of the party.

In a decisive pronouncement, Justice Segun-Bello held that the NDC National Working Committee (NWC), the party organ legally empowered to conduct primary elections under the Electoral Act, did not organise any valid primary election for Enugu West Senatorial District on May 29, 2026.

The judge further ruled that the primary purportedly conducted by the state working committee was invalid, having been organised by a body without the requisite legal authority to conduct such an exercise.

Consequently, the court declared that no valid primary election was conducted by the NDC for Enugu West Senatorial District and nullified INEC’s publication of Eneh’s name, directing the electoral commission to disregard him as the party’s senatorial candidate.

Ohajekwe, through her counsel, Kelvin Eya, Esq., had challenged the legitimacy of the process that produced Eneh, arguing that the party’s national leadership failed to conduct a valid primary election in Enugu State.

She maintained that the only primary exercise conducted in the state was organised by the state chapter under the leadership of Dr. Johnpaul Anih, a development she contended was inconsistent with the party’s constitution and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

The judgment is expected to trigger fresh political realignments within the Enugu State chapter of the NDC, as the party grapples with the implications of the court’s pronouncement and the growing uncertainty surrounding its electoral fortunes.

The latest development comes barely days after another Federal High Court sitting in Abuja removed Hon. John Nwokeabia as the NDC candidate for Awgu/Aninri/Oji River Federal Constituency and declared Hon. Chijioke Okereke the duly elected candidate.

The two judgments have placed the party’s candidate-selection process under intense scrutiny, with the judiciary emerging as a critical arbiter in the ongoing disputes over its internal administration and electoral nominations.

Reacting to the Enugu judgment, the State Secretary of the party, Dr. Sebastine Chukwuebuka Okafor, described the ruling as a victory for democracy and internal party accountability.

Okafor accused the party’s National Working Committee of working against the presidential ambition of Mr. Peter Obi, alleging that its failure to conduct primary elections in the state or initiate meaningful reconciliation efforts had further exposed what he described as its undemocratic disposition.

He said the judgment had vindicated the position of the state leadership, arguing that although the ruling might appear to be a setback for the party, it would ultimately strengthen internal democracy and discourage political leaders from violating the rights of party members.

According to him, the judiciary had once again demonstrated that no individual or group was above the law, stressing that political parties must uphold fairness, transparency, equity and respect for the legitimate rights of their members.

He described the judgment as a warning to party leaders against imposing candidates without adhering to established legal and democratic procedures.

Okafor further warned that continued disregard for the Electoral Act and the legitimate aspirations of party members could erode public confidence in the democratic process.

The latest ruling represents another major legal setback for the NDC’s national leadership amid escalating disputes over candidate selection in Enugu State.

With two separate court judgments now affecting the party’s senatorial and federal constituency candidacies, attention is turning to the next steps by the national leadership and INEC, as the unfolding developments threaten to further complicate the party’s preparations for the forthcoming elections.