The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that some of its candidates nominated for the 2027 general elections were removed and replaced with names not authorised by the party.
The allegation centres mainly on some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State, where the NDC claimed that individuals who were neither nominated nor recognised by the party were uploaded and published as its candidates.
The NDC, in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, accused INEC officials of interfering with its candidate nomination process and called for an immediate investigation.
The party’s National Chairman, Moses Zuwoghe, said the development was particularly concerning because Anambra is the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
However, INEC denied having the power to nominate or replace candidates submitted by political parties.
The commission’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the nomination of candidates remained the responsibility of political parties, subject to the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.
Oketola said political parties submit the details of their candidates through INEC’s candidate nomination portal using access credentials provided by the commission.
He explained that activities carried out on the portal were electronically recorded, making it possible to determine the history and source of entries relating to candidates listed on the platform.
According to him, allegations that INEC officials introduced unauthorised candidates into a party’s list could therefore be established through the commission’s electronic and documentary records.
Oketola also clarified that INEC’s monitoring of political party primaries did not give the commission the authority to select candidates for political parties.
He said reports prepared by officials who monitored party primaries did not transfer the responsibility for candidate nomination from political parties to INEC.
He added that disputes over the outcome of party primaries, appeals arising from such processes or subsequent attempts to alter the results must be resolved within the framework of the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws.
On the NDC’s specific claim that INEC officials obtained Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants and subsequently uploaded their details without the party’s authorisation, Oketola described the allegation as serious.
He said the commission would examine its records concerning the constituencies identified by the NDC to determine what happened.
Oketola urged the party to provide evidence and details of any INEC officials allegedly involved in unauthorised interference with its candidate nomination process.
He said any credible allegation of misconduct against an INEC official would be investigated in line with established procedures.
The NDC had alleged that INEC systematically removed its nominated candidates and replaced them with individuals it did not recognise.
The party said the alleged action could cause confusion among its supporters and undermine its preparations for the 2027 elections.
The NDC listed the following names as individuals it claimed were uploaded as its candidates without authorisation:
1. Onitsha South 1 — Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa
2. Onitsha South 2 — Akpotue Obinna Chibuike
3. Orumba North — Nwankwo Chiemerie
4. Anaocha 1 — Maduagwu Eric K
5. Idemili North — Ngoebisi Obinna
6. Njikoka 1 — Isintume Charles
7. Nnewi South — Nwachukwu Nonso
8. Nnewi South 2 — Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne
9. Ayamelum — Nnonyelu Samson E
10. Dunukofia — Azotani Chuks Francis
Zuwoghe called on the INEC Chairman to urgently investigate how the names came to be published as NDC candidates.
The party also alleged that similar incidents had occurred in other parts of the country, including Benue and Imo states, where it claimed that legitimate candidates had been replaced with individuals it described as unauthorised.
INEC, however, maintained that it had no institutional interest in determining which candidates political parties should field.
Oketola said the commission’s responsibility was to administer the electoral process impartially and in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable regulations and guidelines.
He also reminded political parties of their responsibility to ensure that their nomination processes, internal appeals, candidate submissions and use of the INEC nomination portal complied with the law and prescribed timelines.
The commission assured stakeholders that the candidate nomination process would be handled transparently and that legitimate complaints would be considered based on its records and the applicable law.
