NDC, INEC Clash Over Alleged Replacement of 2027 Election Candidates
The Nigerian Democratic Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have clashed over claims that the electoral body replaced the party’s nominated candidates for the 2027...
The Nigerian Democratic Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have clashed over claims that the electoral body replaced the party’s nominated candidates for the 2027 general elections with unknown individuals whom the party did not submit.
The Nigerian Democratic Congress made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday by its national chairman, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, who said the names published by INEC “read like a deliberate plot to sabotage the NDC ahead of the general elections and stir dissatisfaction among its millions of supporters”.
In a chat with Mr Dayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, he denied the allegation, describing it as seriously misleading and inconsistent with the commission’s role and the legal process for political parties to nominate and submit candidates. He added that the commission is a non-partisan institution that operates strictly within the law.
INEC recently displayed lists of candidates, running mates and political parties at its state headquarters, including candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections. The lists also included the candidates’ ages, educational backgrounds and other qualifications.
Reacting to the development, Mr Zuwoghe accused INEC of publishing “unauthorised names in various constituencies,” particularly in the Anambra State House of Assembly, the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He said 10 names unknown to the party — and neither authorised nor submitted by it in accordance with the law — had been uploaded and published as the party’s candidates.
Mr Cleopas Zuwoghes further listed the names of the ten unknown candidates and their constituencies that were allegedly published by the electoral body, which are: Onitsha South: Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa; Onitsha South: Akpotue Obinna Chibuike; Orumba North: Nwankwo Chiemerie; Anaocha 1: Maduagwu Eric K; Idemili North: Ngoebisi Obinn; Njikoka 1: Isintume Charles; Nnewi South: Nwachukwu Nonso; Nnewi South 2: Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne; Ayamelum: Nnonyelu Samson E.
In his explanation, the NDC national chairman said that, as custodian of the code issued to the party for uploading its candidates, he did not upload the disputed names and neither did the party’s state branch. He added that after the party’s primaries and appeal process, Anambra State stakeholders, working with the party leadership and representatives of the presidential candidate, produced a final candidate list that was signed by all parties and submitted to the electoral commission.
“However, when that final list was uploaded to the INEC portal, using the code given us by the Electoral Commission, the INEC officials who are in complete control of the backend of the portal kept nine of the names on ‘Pending’ status.
“Their claim was that their system already had those names, which they said were submitted by their officials who monitored the NDC primaries in the field.
“Even after the NDC had formally appealed those names on the ground that they did not come from the party’s nomination process and also sent the names of the actual candidates nominated by the party with the necessary covering letter, INEC remained adamant.
“To further confirm that there was a predetermined effort on the part of INEC to impose the said nine candidates on the party and embarrass both NDC and Mr Peter Obi, INEC went behind the NDC to collect the Form EC-9 directly from the candidates, bypassing the party, and uploading the same. It then went ahead to publish the controversial names as authentic candidates of the party. This not only runs against the grain of the Electoral Act and INEC’s own guidelines, but it is simply unacceptable,” the NDC National Chairman said.
The NDC national chairman went on to argue that INEC should have left the space blank if the names submitted by the party do not match those INEC claimed to have received from its monitoring teams on the field, rather than preloading some unknown names and preventing the party from loading its genuine candidates.
As a result, the political party called on the INEC Chairman and the entire commission to investigate the development, as the NDC is also exercising its right to investigate. They also urged the electoral body to extend the investigation to other constituencies nationwide.
“We call on the INEC Chairman to urgently and immediately cause an investigation into the matter and unravel how this came to be.”
“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.
“We, as a party, are also carrying out our own independent investigation, the preliminary findings of which are already pointing to the complicity of INEC officials in foisting names purporting to be our candidates, but who are not from us, and using the uploading process as a tool of blackmail and intimidation against the party and getting those names to be uploaded and published, for whatever purpose or ulterior motive.”
INEC Denies NDC Allegations
Reacting to the development, Mr Dayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, denied the party’s allegation, describing the claims as misleading and requiring serious attention.
In a chat with NDR this morning, Mr Oketola said INEC does not nominate candidates for political parties, adding that the commission’s role is governed by the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and other applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.
He further added that the Commission does not possess the legal authority to select a candidate for a political party or substitute its own preferred candidate for a person validly nominated by a political party in accordance with the law.
Mr Oketola said political parties submit their candidates’ details through a commission-provided platform using designated access credentials. He added that every portal submission is electronically logged and can be verified through the commission’s records and audit trail.
INEC’s spokesperson stressed that the commission is non-partisan and has no interest in any political party’s choice of candidates, saying its role is to administer the electoral process impartially and in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and applicable regulations and guidelines.
“The allegations are serious and require some clarification regarding the role of the Commission and the procedure for the nomination and submission of candidates by political parties.
“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.
“Similarly, the Commission does not possess the legal authority to select a candidate for a political party or substitute its own preferred candidate for a person validly nominated by a political party in accordance with the law.
“The candidate nomination portal provided by the Commission is the platform through which political parties submit the particulars of their candidates using access credentials issued for that purpose. Activities carried out in relation to the submission of candidates through the portal are electronically recorded and are capable of verification from 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.
“Accordingly, the allegation that officials of the Commission introduced or “smuggled” candidates into the NDC’s list is not a matter that should be determined by speculation. The electronic and documentary records relating to the affected constituencies are capable of establishing the relevant facts.
“It is equally necessary to clarify the distinction between INEC’s responsibility to monitor political party primaries and the responsibility of political parties to nominate and submit their candidates.
“The Commission’s monitoring of a political party primary does not amount to nomination of a candidate by INEC. 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. The monitoring process serves the statutory purposes prescribed by law and does not transfer the party’s responsibility for nomination to the Commission.
“Where questions arise as to the person who validly emerged from a political party primary, the effect of an appeal arising from that primary, or the validity of any subsequent attempt to alter the outcome of the nomination process, those questions must be resolved strictly within the framework of the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws. 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.
“The allegation by the NDC that INEC officials went behind the party to obtain Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants or candidates and thereafter uploaded their particulars without the authority of the party is particularly serious. Such an allegation is capable of objective verification from the Commission’s electronic and documentary records.
“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. If the party has evidence implicating any official of the Commission in any unauthorised interference with its candidate nomination process, it should make such evidence and the particulars of the officials concerned available to the Commission. Any credible allegation of misconduct by an official of the Commission will be investigated in accordance with established procedures.
“It is important, however, to emphasise that the Commission has no institutional interest in the choice of candidate made 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.
“Political parties also have a corresponding responsibility to ensure that their nomination processes, internal appeals, submission of candidates and use of the Commission’s candidate nomination portal are undertaken strictly in accordance with the law and within the prescribed timelines.
“INEC will continue to discharge its responsibilities transparently, impartially and in accordance with the rule of law. Where legitimate concerns are raised about the candidate nomination process, the Commission will address them based on its 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,” he concluded.
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