By Staff Reporter
Delta State-born environmental rights activist and House of Representatives aspirant, Sheriff Mulade, has dragged the Niger Delta Congress (NDC) to court, demanding N5 billion in damages over the alleged exclusion of his primary election results and what he described as an unlawful candidate selection process.
Mulade, who aspired to represent his federal constituency in the House of Representatives under the platform of the NDC, alleged that the outcome of the party’s primary election was discarded in favour of a candidate selected through an “unknown process” not recognized by the party’s constitution or electoral guidelines.
According to the suit, the claimant is challenging the legitimacy of the process that produced the party’s candidate, arguing that party officials failed to adhere to established democratic procedures and denied aspirants a transparent and credible contest.
The former chairman of the Kokodiagbene Community in Delta State and prominent Niger Delta advocate maintained that the alleged actions of the party leadership undermined internal democracy and violated the rights of contestants who participated in the primary election in good faith.
Mulade is asking the court to nullify the disputed candidate selection process and declare any outcome arising from it invalid.
He is also seeking an order compelling the party to recognize the authentic primary election results.
In addition, the aspirant is demanding N5 billion in damages for alleged reputational injury, emotional distress, and financial losses incurred during his campaign activities.
Through his legal team, Mulade argued that political parties have a responsibility to uphold transparency, fairness, and accountability in the conduct of their primaries, noting that failure to do so erodes public confidence in the democratic process.
The lawsuit has drawn attention to concerns over internal party democracy and candidate selection procedures as political parties continue preparations for future elections.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the leadership of the Niger Delta Congress were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Political analysts believe the case could set an important precedent regarding the enforcement of party rules and the protection of aspirants’ rights within Nigeria’s electoral system.
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