WARRI/Nigeria: The Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has fixed November 24, 2026, for judgment in a suit challenging former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege’s participation in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial primary for Delta Central.
The suit was instituted by Professor Alexander Osondu Akpodiete, who is asking the court to disqualify Omo-Agege and declare him the rightful candidate of the NDC for the Delta Central Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa reserved judgment after hearing submissions from lawyers representing the parties, including the NDC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The dispute centres on Omo-Agege’s political affiliation, the circumstances surrounding his departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC), and his subsequent emergence as the NDC’s candidate for the senatorial district.
During proceedings, counsel to Omo-Agege reportedly told the court that the former deputy senate president resigned from the APC on May 5, 2026, joined the NDC the same day and did not participate in the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18.
Akpodiete, however, disputed that account, maintaining that Omo-Agege participated in the APC primary held on May 18 and subsequently claimed victory in media interviews and public appearances, including on Arise Television.
The conflicting submissions reportedly prompted Justice Nganjiwa to question how Omo-Agege could have participated in the APC primary on May 18 if he had already resigned from the party on May 5, as alleged by his counsel.
The exchange attracted attention in the courtroom, bringing the question of the former lawmaker’s party membership and participation in the competing nomination processes into sharper focus.
At the heart of Akpodiete’s case is whether the circumstances surrounding Omo-Agege’s alleged participation in the APC primary, his subsequent move to the NDC and the applicable statutory requirements affect his eligibility to contest the NDC primary.
The plaintiff is asking the court to examine the relevant facts and legal provisions governing party membership and the nomination of candidates, and to determine whether Omo-Agege satisfied the requirements for emerging as the NDC’s senatorial candidate.
The case places the legal validity of the NDC’s Delta Central nomination process before the court, with the parties presenting competing accounts of the events surrounding Omo-Agege’s political transition.
Omo-Agege, a former senator and deputy president of the Senate, announced his move to the NDC in May 2026 and declared his intention to contest the Delta Central seat in the 2027 elections.
However, the challenge filed by Akpodiete means that the question of the party’s nomination remains subject to judicial determination in the present proceedings.
The court is expected to resolve the issues raised by the parties when it delivers judgment on November 24.
Until then, the legal challenge remains unresolved, and the allegations concerning Omo-Agege’s participation in the APC primary and his eligibility under the NDC nomination process should not be treated as established findings of the court.
