The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is facing a fresh legal challenge over the alleged substitution of its candidate for the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A politician and businessman, Pratt Tunde, has dragged the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging the alleged replacement of his name with that of Tunji Sanni.

Pratt is asking the court to declare the substitution illegal, null and void and order INEC to restore his name as the NDC candidate for the constituency.

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

According to him, despite winning the primary, the NDC leadership subsequently replaced his name with Sanni’s without his knowledge or consent.

In an affidavit filed in support of his application, Pratt described the alleged substitution as an unlawful and secret alteration of his nomination.

He argued that the case was a pre-election matter governed by Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution and therefore required urgent judicial determination because of the constitutional time limit applicable to such 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,” Pratt stated.

He alleged that the NDC and the substituted candidate’s name being displayed on INEC’s platform amounted to an ongoing illegality.

Pratt said he discovered the alleged substitution on August 1, 2026, adding that he had only 14 days from the date of discovery to institute the action.

He told the court that failure to intervene within the relevant period could permanently extinguish his right to challenge the alleged substitution.

He further claimed that the development had prevented him from accessing INEC’s nomination portal and disrupted his preparations for the election.

“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.

Pratt also relied on what he described as INEC’s newly revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, arguing that the schedule makes the matter particularly urgent.

According to him, the revised timetable contains deadlines for the publication of candidates’ personal particulars, including Form EC9, and therefore has implications for the alleged publication of Sanni’s name.

He urged the court to take judicial notice of the document, which he said he downloaded from INEC’s official website.

Pratt said the original copy of the revised timetable was in INEC’s custody and formally requested that the electoral commission produce it at the trial.

He maintained that the copy attached to his application was accurately reproduced, saying he personally downloaded and printed it using his computer and laser printer without any technical malfunction that could have compromised its contents.

The plaintiff also warned that any delay in determining the case could render a favourable judgment ineffective if INEC proceeds to print ballot papers bearing the disputed candidate’s name.

“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 said.

He consequently urged the court to hear the matter on an expedited, day-to-day basis, arguing that doing so would not prejudice the defendants because the relevant documents and electronic records were readily available.

Following the alleged substitution, Pratt appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful, saying his legal action was aimed not only at reclaiming the ticket but also at protecting the mandate he claimed to have secured at the primary.

“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 maintained that his supporters had participated in the May 29 primary and that their mandate should not be overturned through what he described as “backroom deals.”

Pratt vowed to pursue the case in court while urging his supporters to remain calm and hopeful.

His legal team is led by Chief Àjọṣe Abejoye.

A lawyer with Àjọṣe Abejoye Legal, Kaosara Afariogun, said the suit was instituted to protect what the legal team described as Pratt’s electoral mandate.

She alleged that Pratt complied with the rules governing the primary election and emerged victorious, insisting that the circumstances surrounding his alleged replacement warranted judicial intervention.

The suit has placed the NDC and INEC at the centre of another pre-election dispute as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

Pratt is seeking judicial orders restoring him as the NDC candidate for the Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency and invalidating the alleged substitution in favour of Sanni.