Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has insisted that his 2027 Senate bid remains alive, with his office describing claims that a Supreme Court ruling has ended his ambition as a misreading of the judgment. In a fresh statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, October 9, his office reiterated that the court restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 but “did not issue a candidate-specific ruling against Omo-Agege,” as questions persist over whether his name was included in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Key Highlights
- Omo-Agege’s office insists the Supreme Court did not declare him ineligible to contest the 2027 senatorial election.
- The former deputy Senate president says his name appeared on the NDC membership register submitted to INEC.
- The Supreme Court restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing party membership registers and candidate nominations.
- INEC says candidates whose names are missing from the relevant registers may be barred from contesting.
- Questions remain over the timing of Omo-Agege’s departure from the APC and his subsequent move to the NDC.
- The NDC and INEC Delta have not publicly produced the specific register page needed to resolve the dispute.
Omo-Agege Rejects Claims That Supreme Court Ruling Ends His Bid
Omo-Agege’s office posted the latest statement on Facebook on Thursday, October 9, reiterating his position that the Supreme Court judgment does not automatically disqualify him from contesting for the Delta Central senatorial seat in 2027.
The post reportedly attracted about 110 likes, while a separate Facebook page promoting the argument that he cannot contest had about 150 likes, reflecting the competing narratives surrounding his political future.
The latest statement restates the position first issued in Asaba on September 26 by his Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications, Godwin Anaighe.
According to the statement, the court restored relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 but did not issue an order against Omo-Agege or declare him ineligible to contest.
“The distinction is straightforward: the Court ruled on the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act; it did not issue a candidate-specific ruling against Omo-Agege,” the statement said.
His office also maintained that his name appeared on the NDC membership register submitted to INEC before May 10 and on the commission’s published final list of candidates.
The statement urged supporters of Senator Ede Dafinone, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Delta Central, to stop presenting the judgment as a decision against Omo-Agege and instead focus on the political contest.
What the Supreme Court Ruled on Party Membership Registers
The controversy follows a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, by a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro.
The court allowed INEC’s appeal against the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), set aside a Court of Appeal decision delivered on July 16 and restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. It also awarded ₦2 million in costs against the ZLP.
The judgment did not specifically strike out Omo-Agege or any other named candidate. Instead, it restored statutory provisions governing party membership registers and the nomination of candidates for elections.
Under the restored provisions, only party members whose names appear on the membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention may participate in the relevant process.
The provisions also restrict parties from relying on alternative membership registers. Parties that fail to submit their registers within the required period risk being unable to field candidates, while Section 84(2) limits nominations to direct primaries or consensus.
The legal implications for individual candidates therefore depend on whether their parties complied with the requirements and whether their names appeared on the relevant registers.
INEC Warns Parties Against Fielding Candidates Missing From Registers
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna has said the commission will apply the restored provisions of the Electoral Act.
Under the commission’s stated position, a person whose name is absent from the relevant membership register was not recognised as a member for the purpose of that party primary.
Haruna also indicated that parties found to have breached the requirements would not be permitted to field affected candidates or replace them through substitution, as that could reward non-compliance.
A definitive pronouncement was expected by Tuesday, October 13, 2026, following legal advice. Haruna did not name any political party or candidate in the reported remarks.
However, media reports have identified several politicians whose eligibility has been questioned in connection with party membership registers. They include Kingsley Chinda, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State; Donald Duke, the Peoples Redemption Party presidential candidate; Isa Pantami in Gombe State; and, in Delta State, Omo-Agege and Victor Ochei, both of whom are reportedly contesting on the NDC platform after leaving the APC.
The reports do not, by themselves, establish that any of the named politicians has been disqualified.
Read also:
- Electoral Act 2026: Omo-Agege, Ochei, Other Defectors Face Fresh Test After Supreme Court Ruling
- NDC Chieftain Links Sealed Business to 10,000-Man March, Denies Violations
- Aniagwu: Delta Govt Has No Evidence Of Threat Against Omo-Agege
Omo-Agege’s Move From APC to NDC Raises Questions
Omo-Agege’s political timeline has become central to the dispute.
He contested the APC senatorial primary for Delta Central in May 2026 but lost to Dafinone. He resigned from the APC on May 22, joined the NDC, received a waiver and subsequently secured the party’s senatorial ticket through consensus.
His office, however, says his name was already on the NDC membership register submitted to INEC before May 10.
That claim has prompted questions about the dates of the register submission, his entry into the NDC and his resignation from the APC.
A register submitted before May 10 could not ordinarily reflect an event that occurred on May 22 unless there was an earlier entry or another relevant filing. Establishing what happened requires examining the actual register and any subsequent submission accepted by INEC.
The timing alone does not conclusively establish that Omo-Agege is ineligible. Equally, his office’s assertion that his name appeared on the register does not settle the matter without the relevant documentation.
Neither INEC Delta nor the NDC had publicly released the specific register page needed to resolve the competing claims in the reports provided.
Victor Ochei Also Mentioned in Delta Membership Register Dispute
Omo-Agege is not the only Delta politician whose candidacy has been mentioned in reports about the membership register issue.
Victor Ochei, the NDC senatorial candidate for Delta North, has also been named following his reported move from the APC and the granting of a waiver.
Both candidates’ situations have been discussed in connection with the Supreme Court judgment, but their individual eligibility must be assessed against the applicable legal provisions and the relevant party records.
Dafinone, who defeated Omo-Agege in the APC primary, remains the APC nominee for Delta Central. His candidacy is separate from the question of whether Omo-Agege met the NDC’s membership-register requirements.
Omo-Agege’s 2027 Senate Bid Awaits Clarification
The debate over Omo-Agege’s political future has become increasingly polarised. His opponents interpret the restored provisions as a possible barrier to his candidacy, while his office maintains that the Supreme Court did not issue a personal order against him and describes contrary interpretations as misleading.
The decisive issue, however, is whether the NDC complied with the statutory requirements for submitting its membership register and whether Omo-Agege’s name was properly included.
If the relevant register was submitted within the required period and contains his name in accordance with the law, the Supreme Court judgment alone does not establish that he is disqualified. If the applicable requirements were not met, INEC could determine that the party cannot field him, subject to the relevant legal processes.
The Facebook statements and competing social media reactions have amplified the dispute, but the number of likes on either side cannot resolve the legal question.
Until INEC Delta or the NDC provides the relevant documentation and clarifies the register’s submission history, Omo-Agege’s eligibility for the 2027 Delta Central senatorial election remains disputed rather than conclusively determined by a candidate-specific Supreme Court ruling.
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