A Federal High Court in Enugu has nullified the Nigeria Democratic Congress primary for the Enugu West Senatorial District, ruling that no valid primary election took place and ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to disregard Hon. Uche Eneh as the party’s candidate.
Justice Segun-Bello delivered the judgment on Wednesday in suit No. FHC/EN/C’S/153/2026. The court held that the NDC National Working Committee, the body empowered under the Electoral Act to conduct primaries, did not organise the exercise in the senatorial district on May 29, 2026. It further declared that the primary organised by the state working committee was invalid because the committee lacked legal authority to hold the election.
The suit was filed by Barr. Ugochi Ohajekwe, who is aligned with the Dr. Johnpaul Anih-led Enugu State Working Committee. Through her counsel, Kelvin Eya, she argued that the party’s national leadership failed to conduct a valid primary in Enugu State and that the only process held was the one organised by the state chapter. She challenged the emergence of Eneh as the senatorial candidate.
The court consequently nullified INEC’s publication of Eneh’s name and directed the commission to disregard him as the NDC candidate for the district.
The ruling comes days after a separate Federal High Court in Abuja removed Hon. John Nwokeabia as the NDC candidate for the Awgu/Aninri/Oji River Federal Constituency and declared Hon. Chijioke Okereke the duly elected candidate.
Reacting to the judgment, the party’s State Secretary, Dr. Sebastine Chukwuebuka Okafor, described it as a victory for democracy. He accused the National Working Committee of working against the presidential ambition of Mr. Peter Obi and said its failure to conduct any primary in the state or pursue meaningful reconciliation had exposed an undemocratic disposition.
Okafor said the decision vindicated the state leadership. Although the ruling might appear as a setback, he argued it would strengthen internal democracy and discourage party leaders from violating members’ rights. He maintained that the judiciary had again shown that no individual or group is above the law and that political parties must uphold fairness, transparency, equity and respect for members’ rights. He described the judgment as a warning against the imposition of candidates without due process and cautioned that continued disregard for the Electoral Act and members’ legitimate aspirations could erode public confidence in the democratic process.
The latest decision marks another setback for the NDC’s national leadership amid ongoing disputes over candidate selection in Enugu State.
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