Orette Sues INEC for ₦1 Billion Over Omission From Delta South Candidate List

Dr. Austin Orette, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) senatorial candidate for Delta South, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking ₦1 billion in damagesover the alleged omission of his name from the official list of candidates for the January 16, 2027, National Assembly elections. Speaking in Asaba after returning from Abuja, Orette accused the commission of reckless conduct, arguing that the omission had disrupted his campaign and violated his rights as the party’s nominated candidate.

He also alleged that political opponents were using his absence from the list to convince voters that he would not participate in the election. Orette’s suit seeks judicial intervention to compel INEC to recognise and publish his name as the ADC candidate for the Delta South senatorial seat.

According to Orette, he emerged as the sole aspirant and winner of the ADC senatorial primary held on May 22, 2026, securing 10,950 votes. He said he subsequently completed the required nomination forms and submitted them to the party’s national secretariat for transmission to INEC. Orette further stated that INEC amended its election timetable on July 12, 2026, extending the deadline for political parties to submit candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections to July 14, and that the ADC submitted his name on the final day.

However, when the commission published its list of senatorial candidates on September 12, 2026, his name was missing. Orette said the omission had significantly affected his campaign, explaining that he had visited six of the eight local government areas in the Delta South district before suspending campaign activities over the dispute. He accused INEC of failing to uphold its constitutional responsibility to maintain neutrality in the electoral process, insisting that the commission was obligated to publish his name after receiving his nomination details within the stipulated deadline.

Through his suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, he is asking the court to order INEC to recognise him as the ADC’s duly nominated candidate and publish his name on the official list. He warned that his participation in the January 2027 election could be jeopardised if the court does not resolve the dispute urgently.