The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that it removed candidates nominated by the party for the 2027 general elections and replaced them with names allegedly unknown to the party.
The claims, which specifically concern some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State, were addressed by INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, in an interview with our correspondent on Monday.
In a post on X (previously Twitter), the NDC accused INEC and its officials of uploading and publishing unauthorized names in various Anambra State constituencies.
According to the party, nine names unknown to it and not authorized or submitted to INEC were uploaded and published as candidates for several constituencies in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Moses Zuwoghe, NDC National Chairman, expressed concern about the incident, noting that Anambra is the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
However, in response to the charges, Oketola stated that INEC lacked the legal jurisdiction to nominate candidates for political parties or substitute its favored candidates for those legitimately nominated by a political party in compliance with the law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, INEC does not nominate candidates for political parties. The nomination of candidates is the responsibility of political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and other applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines,” he said.
He said that, while political parties were responsible for selecting and submitting candidates, INEC’s responsibility was to oversee the election process in compliance with the Constitution, the Election Act, and any applicable regulations and guidelines.
According to him, the commission’s candidate nomination site serves as a platform for political parties to submit candidate information using access credentials supplied specifically for that purpose.
He noted that all activity on the portal were electronically recorded and could be confirmed using the Commission’s records and audit trail.
“It is therefore possible to establish objectively the history and source of entries relating to any candidate whose name appears on the portal,” Oketola said.
He stated that the claim that INEC personnel introduced or “smuggled” candidates onto the NDC’s list should not be determined by guesswork, saying that electronic and documentary records will reveal what happened.
Oketola further underlined the contrast between INEC’s role in monitoring political party primaries and parties’ responsibilities to select and submit candidates.
He stated that watching a party primary by INEC staff did not imply that the Commission nominated a candidate for the party.
“Neither does a report made by officials who monitor a primary confer upon the Commission the power to choose a candidate for the political party,” he said.
He clarified that the monitoring process was carried out for statutory purposes and did not transfer responsibility for candidate nomination from political parties to INEC.
According to the INEC spokesman, issues about who lawfully emerged from a political party primary, the effect of an appeal originating from the primary, and the validity of any later attempt to change the decision must be decided within the context of the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable legislation.
“INEC cannot assume the role of a political party in choosing its candidates, nor can it disregard applicable statutory requirements governing the nomination and submission of candidates,” he stated.
On the NDC’s specific allegation that INEC staff went behind the party’s back to get Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants or candidates and then submitted their information without the party’s permission, Oketola termed it as extremely worrisome.
He said, however, that the allegation could be objectively proved using the Commission’s technological and documentary data.
“Rather than make categorical assertions on matters that can readily be established from those records, the Commission will examine the relevant records relating to the constituencies identified by the NDC,” he said.
Oketola encouraged the NDC to give the Commission with evidence and information on any officials allegedly interfering with the candidate nomination process.
He stated that any credible complaint of misconduct against an INEC officer will be probed in accordance with established procedures.
The commission, he emphasized, had no institutional interest in the candidates chosen by any political party.
“Its responsibility is to administer the electoral process impartially and in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable Regulations and Guidelines,” he said.
Oketola also reminded political parties of their responsibility to ensure that their nomination processes, internal appeals, candidate submissions, and use of the Commission’s candidate nomination portal followed the law and the stipulated timelines.
He assured stakeholders that INEC would continue to conduct the candidate nomination process in a transparent and unbiased manner, and that legitimate concerns would be addressed based on the Commission’s records and applicable law.
“The commission will neither nominate candidates for political parties nor lend itself to the imposition of candidates on any political party,” Oketola said.
The NDC claimed that INEC systematically deleted its nominated candidates for the 2027 general elections and replaced them with names not recognized by the party.
It described the event as “a deliberate plot to sabotage the NDC ahead of the general elections and cause dissatisfaction among its millions of supporters.”
The NDC has listed the following names as having been reportedly sneaked onto their candidate list:
Onitsha South 1 — Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa, Onitsha South 2 — Akpotue Obinna Chibuike, Orumba North — Nwankwo Chiemerie, Anaocha 1 — Maduagwu Eric K, Idemili North — Ngoebisi Obinna, Njikoka 1 — Isintume Charles, Nnewi South — Nwachukwu Nonso, Nnewi South 2 — Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne, Ayamelum — Nnonyelu Samson E, Dunukofia – Azotani Chuks Francis.
The statement, signed by Zuwoghe, charged the INEC Chairman to investigate the matter and determine how the names came to be published as candidates of the party.
“We call on the INEC Chairman to urgently and immediately cause an investigation into the matter and unravel how this came to be.”
The NDC stated that the investigation should also cover other constituencies across the country, including Benue and Imo states, where it claimed to have observed a similar pattern of authentic party candidates being replaced with what it described as INEC-chosen imposters.
“The same investigation should also be carried out in other constituencies like Benue, Imo and others, as this mischief has not only caused an embarrassment to the party, its leadership and genuine candidates, but has also caused a lot of disaffection among the millions of the party’s supporters all over the country and in the Diaspora,” it said.
