Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a frontline opposition political has made public the commencement of the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for aspirants seeking to contest various elective positions ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party fixing its presidential primary election for May 29 in Abuja.
The party disclosed this in a statement issued by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, and Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, yesterday.
The sale of Expression of Interest Forms will commence on Wednesday, May 13 and end on Monday, May 18.
A breakdown of the fees showed that aspirants for State Houses of Assembly are expected to pay N1 million for Expression of Interest Forms and N1.5 million for Nomination Forms, while House of Representatives aspirants would pay N2 million and N4 million respectively.
Senate aspirants are to pay N3 million for Expression of Interest Forms and N5 million for Nomination Forms, while governorship aspirants would pay N10 million and N20 million respectively.
For the presidency, the party fixed the Expression of Interest Form at N20 million and the Nomination Form at N40 million.
The NDC, however, stated that “female aspirants and persons living with disability (PWDs) are to pay 50 per cent and 25 per cent of the fees across all categories.”
The statement further disclosed that “the sale of Nomination Forms will commence immediately after the screening exercise, from Thursday, May 21, to Saturday, May 23, 2026” while completed forms must be submitted on or before May 25, 2026.
The NDC stated that appeals arising from the screening process would be entertained on May 25 and 26, while primary elections for various elective offices are scheduled for May 27 and 28, 2026.
“The Presidential Primary Election is slated for May 29, 2026, in Abuja,” the statement said.
The party explained that aspirants seeking tickets for State Houses of Assembly would be screened in their respective states, while screening for aspirants to the National Assembly and presidential positions would be conducted at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja.
It also disclosed that governorship primaries would be conducted at the local government level.
According to the statement, “all aspirants will be required to sign an undertaking in line with the party’s guidelines and code of conduct.”
The NDC assured members and aspirants of “a transparent, inclusive, and democratic process in the sale of forms and conduct of primaries.”
The party also announced that it would adopt the “open secret ballot” system for its primaries “in order to guarantee credibility, fairness, and internal democracy.”
The statement said that the party’s approved nomination fees “remain among the lowest compared to those of other major political parties in the country.”
The party reaffirmed its commitment to “a transparent and credible primary election process capable of producing competent candidates for the 2027 general elections.”
