Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd)
By Henry Umoru
Crisis rocking the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has taken a new twist as a faction of the party has petitioned the National Peace Committee to urgently intervene over what it termed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s refusal to recognise its authentic candidates and release the nomination portal access code required for the upload of their particulars ahead of the forthcoming general election.
With this development, this has heightened its battle with INEC.
The party, which has already threatened legal action against INEC, has however, warned that the commission’s continued refusal to grant access to the nomination portal amounts to an unlawful exclusion of its candidates from the electoral process and poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
In a petition dated August 2, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), through its Solicitors, O.I.B. Oyewale & Co. (Ayoka-Okin Chambers), the NNPP urged the committee to prevail on INEC to immediately recognise candidates produced from its monitored primaries and release the access code needed to complete their nomination.
The party argued that it had fully complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines by conducting ward, local government, state and national congresses, as well as primary elections, under the supervision of INEC officials.
According to the petition, there has been no judicial or administrative declaration invalidating the congresses, primaries or the candidates that emerged from the exercises, insisting that every aspirant satisfied the statutory requirement of being a registered party member at least 21 days before the primaries, adding that it submitted its membership register to INEC on May 9, 2026, in line with the Commission’s guidelines, maintaining that all successful candidates emerged from validly conducted and INEC-monitored primaries.
Despite what it described as full compliance with all legal requirements, the party alleged that INEC has “inexplicably refused” to release the nomination portal access code, thereby preventing its candidates from uploading their particulars within the statutory nomination timeline.
It warned that the continued refusal effectively amounts to the indirect deregistration of a duly registered political party through administrative action, contrary to the spirit and letters of the Electoral Act and the constitutional principles of participatory democracy, fairness and equal political opportunity.
The party also alleged that the development appeared to be the culmination of sustained efforts by former members and other vested interests determined to undermine its fortunes and weaken Nigeria’s multiparty democratic system.
While acknowledging the existence of litigation involving another faction of the party, the NNPP insisted that the pending court case should not be used as a justification for denying its authentic candidates access to the nomination process.
It urged INEC to convene a meeting involving all relevant stakeholders and factions of the party to resolve any administrative concerns, insisting that only duly recognised state chairmen are authorised under the Commission’s guidelines to execute and submit nomination forms.
Appealing directly to the National Peace Committee, the party said democracy can only thrive where every registered political party that complies with the law is given equal opportunity to participate in elections without discrimination or administrative impediments.
The NNPP specifically urged the committee to persuade INEC to examine its records relating to the party’s congresses and primaries, recognise the authentic candidates produced from those INEC-monitored exercises, immediately release the nomination portal access code and ensure that the party and its candidates are not unlawfully excluded from the forthcoming general election.
The party stressed that time was running out, warning that every passing day reduced the opportunity available to its candidates to comply with INEC’s nomination timetable.
It maintained that prompt intervention by the National Peace Committee would not only avert what it described as an impending injustice but would also strengthen public confidence in the electoral process and reinforce Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The NNPP disclosed that the latest petition followed an earlier letter submitted to INEC on July 16, 2026, demanding the immediate release of the nomination portal access code and notifying the Commission of its intention to institute legal proceedings.
The party warned that should INEC fail to release the access code and recognise its candidates without further delay, it would have no option but to seek judicial intervention to protect its constitutional and statutory rights and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Recall that crisis have been rocking the NNPP as in May, 2026, the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party in one hand ratified the appointment of Bala Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman following the resignation of former National Chairman, Dr Ajuji Ahmed.
On 21st of last month, Dr. Agbo Major who declared that he has been recognised by INEC while addressing Journalists announced the completion of the upload of its presidential candidate’s details on the INEC portal, while the process for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates has commenced.
The party said the exercise was being carried out in line with electoral guidelines and would continue until August 8, 2026, when the process is expected to end and pave the way for substitutions and replacements.
Dr. Agbo Major who noted that the party had also secured the restoration of its original logo on the INEC portal following a legal dispute over the party’s identity described the development as a victory for the rule of law and constitutional democracy, stressing that the party’s recognised symbol, the “Basket of Fruits on the Nigerian map,” had been restored.
