Pratt Tunde sues NDC, seeks return as Lagos Mainland 2027 candidate

Politician and businessman Pratt Tunde has approached the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging the alleged substitution of his name as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections.

Tunde is asking the court to declare the alleged substitution unlawful, null and void and direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore his name as the party’s candidate for the constituency.

The suit followed his emergence as the NDC candidate at a primary election conducted on May 29, 2026, which he said was monitored and certified by INEC.

Tunde alleged that his name was subsequently replaced with that of another candidate without his consent, describing the action as a violation of his right to contest the election and an attempt to overturn the outcome of the party’s primary.

He urged the court to treat the matter as urgent, citing the constitutional timeframe governing pre-election disputes.

“This is a pre-election matter under Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution. By law, this court has a strict, unextendable window of 180 days to hear and deliver final judgment,” he said.

Tunde cites 14-day filing window

According to the plaintiff, he discovered the alleged substitution on August 1, 2026, and commenced legal proceedings within the period prescribed by law.

“I discovered the unlawful candidate substitution on Saturday, 1st of August, 2026. By virtue of Section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution, I have an absolute maximum of 14 days to file this action,” he said.

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Tunde further alleged that the change had prevented him from accessing the INEC nomination portal, affecting his preparations for the 2027 election.

He claimed the development had caused significant political and financial losses because he could not print campaign materials, mobilise supporters or commence his campaign activities as planned.

“Because of this unlawful candidate swap, I am locked out of the official INEC nomination portal. I am suffering permanent, unrecoverable political and financial damage as I cannot print posters, mobilise structure, or launch my campaigns for the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency,” he said.

Seeks expedited hearing

The plaintiff also drew the court’s attention to INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.

He said the timetable contains deadlines relating to the publication of candidates’ particulars and other electoral processes, making an early determination of the case necessary.

Tunde requested that INEC produce the original copy of the revised timetable at trial, while maintaining that the document attached to his suit was downloaded and printed from the commission’s official website.

He warned that any delay could undermine the effectiveness of a judgment if ballot papers are eventually produced bearing the name of the alleged substitute candidate.

“If this suit is not granted an expedited hearing immediately, the 3rd Respondent (INEC) will print final ballot papers using the name of the illegal candidate, which will render the final judgment of this Honourable Court completely useless,” he argued.

He therefore urged the court to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis, arguing that such an arrangement would not prejudice the defendants because the documentary and electronic evidence required to determine the case was already available.

“My heart breaks not for myself, but for the beautiful, hardworking people of Lagos Mainland whose hopes were traded away in the dark,” he said.

He vowed to challenge the alleged substitution in court, saying the objective was to ensure that the outcome of the primary could not be overturned through what he described as backroom arrangements.

“I will not give up on you. We are taking this fight to the court, not just to get my name back on the ballot, but to prove that your voices matter and that your votes cannot be erased by backroom deals,” he said.