A concerned citizen and public affairs commentator, Fegor Ogene, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify the legal and documentary basis for listing Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
Ogene made the request in an open letter to the INEC Chairman, urging the electoral commission to explain how it assessed Omo-Agege’s party membership records, nomination documents and reported resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) before publishing the candidates’ list.
In the letter, Ogene said his request was not intended to prejudge Omo-Agege’s eligibility or suggest that the Supreme Court had ordered his disqualification, but to establish whether the relevant statutory requirements were properly applied.
“My concern is not to prejudge Senator Omo-Agege’s eligibility or suggest that the Supreme Court specifically ordered his disqualification. Rather, it is to establish whether the Commission examined the relevant documentary evidence and applied the statutory requirements consistently before publishing his name,” he stated.
Ogene’s request follows a Supreme Court judgment of September 24, 2026, which, according to the letter, restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to political party membership registers and candidate nomination procedures.
He argued that the judgment had renewed the need for clarity on how INEC assessed the NDC’s nomination for Delta Central, stressing that the ruling did not automatically validate every nomination submitted to the commission.
“The law must be applied to the relevant facts of each case,” Ogene stated, calling on INEC to explain how the restored provisions informed its assessment of Omo-Agege’s candidacy.
Questions over APC resignation and primary
A major issue raised in the letter concerns conflicting accounts of the date Omo-Agege resigned from the APC and his reported participation in the party’s senatorial primary.
Ogene referred to an alleged resignation date of May 5, 2026, and a reported APC primary held on May 18, 2026, asking INEC to clarify whether the dates were accurate and what records established the former deputy Senate president’s membership status at the time of the primary.
The letter also acknowledged that other accounts placed Omo-Agege’s resignation on May 22, 2026, insisting that the dates should not be treated as interchangeable without documentary verification.
“These dates cannot simply be treated as interchangeable. Their accuracy must be established,” Ogene said, urging the commission to examine any resignation letter, evidence of receipt by the appropriate APC authority and records relating to the primary.
He stressed that the reported timeline, if verified, required an explanation, while cautioning that the dates alone did not establish a violation of the Electoral Act.
The letter further stated that Omo-Agege reportedly contested the APC primary, lost the party’s ticket to Senator Ede Dafinone, subsequently moved to the NDC and secured its senatorial ticket through a consensus arrangement after reportedly receiving a party waiver.
NDC membership register under scrutiny
Ogene also asked INEC to verify Omo-Agege’s reported claim that his name appeared on the NDC membership register submitted to the commission before May 10, 2026.
He said he had not independently examined the original register and therefore urged INEC to confirm the date it received the document, whether Omo-Agege’s name appeared on it and the membership date recorded against his name.
“An assertion is not the same as independently verified documentary evidence,” he stated, adding that the original register and its supporting records were central to resolving the controversy.
According to the letter, INEC should also explain whether the register used for the nomination was the same one submitted within the prescribed period and whether the commission verified the relevant membership details against the applicable statutory provisions.
Ogene maintained that the commission’s official records would provide a more reliable basis for resolving the issue than competing political claims.
Questions over party waiver and nomination process
The public affairs commentator further sought clarification on the NDC waiver reportedly granted to Omo-Agege, asking whether INEC examined the document and determined its legal implications.
He argued that a political party’s decision to accept a candidate was distinct from compliance with statutory requirements, noting that a party waiver could not automatically override a mandatory condition imposed by law.
“A political party’s decision to accept a candidate and that candidate’s compliance with statutory requirements are two distinct questions,” Ogene stated.
He asked the commission to explain whether the waiver addressed an internal party requirement or was relied upon in relation to statutory membership-register conditions.
Ogene also requested clarification on whether the commission reviewed the relevant primary or consensus nomination documents in light of the Supreme Court judgment.
Calls for equal treatment of candidates
The letter noted that INEC’s published final senatorial candidates list included both Dafinone of the APC and Omo-Agege of the NDC for Delta Central.
Ogene, however, argued that publication of a candidate’s name should not be treated as proof that every legal question surrounding the nomination had been conclusively resolved.
He urged INEC to apply the same legal standards to all candidates, regardless of political affiliation, influence or previous public office.
“Neither candidate should be presumed guilty of a violation merely because questions have been raised. Neither should a candidate be presumed to have satisfied every legal requirement simply because his name appears on a published list,” he said.
He called on the commission to clarify the documentary and legal basis for accepting Omo-Agege’s nomination, including the membership register, reported resignation timeline, waiver and nomination records.
Ogene also requested information on whether any further administrative review or relevant legal proceedings concerning the nomination were pending, subject to applicable disclosure restrictions.
Ogene: Public deserves answers, not political theatre
In concluding the letter, Ogene said the controversy should not be reduced to political rivalry or competing claims by supporters of the two candidates.
“The 2027 general elections are too important for questions about candidate nominations to be reduced to claims that one political camp has defeated another,” he stated.
He added that if Omo-Agege’s name appeared on the original NDC register and his nomination complied with the applicable law, INEC should be able to explain the basis for its decision.
Conversely, he said any outstanding questions about the register, waiver or nomination process should be addressed through the appropriate procedures.
“The issue is not whether one candidate should be celebrated or another politically embarrassed. The issue is whether the same law applies to everyone,” Ogene stated.
The letter was signed by Fegor Ogene, JP, who described himself as a concerned citizen, public affairs commentator and political writer from Delta State.
The claims and questions raised in the letter have not, in the material provided, been independently verified. No response from INEC or Omo-Agege was included. Their responses would be necessary to establish the commission’s position and provide further context on the issues raised.
