The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of removing candidates nominated by it for the 2027 general elections and replacing them with names it described as unauthorised and unknown to the party.
The party made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday, by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, following INEC’s publication of candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections.
Zuwoghe alleged that the names published by the electoral commission, particularly in Anambra State, amounted to a deliberate attempt to sabotage the party ahead of the elections and create disaffection among its supporters.
According to him, 10 names published as NDC candidates for various constituencies in the Anambra State House of Assembly were not authorised, nominated or submitted by the party.
The affected constituencies, according to the party, include Onitsha South 1, Onitsha South 2, Orumba North, Anaocha 1, Idemili North, Njikoka 1, Nnewi South, Nnewi South 2, Ayamelum and Dunukofia.
The NDC listed the names published by INEC as Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa, Akpotue Obinna Chibuike, Nwankwo Chiemerie, Maduagwu Eric K, Ngoebisi Obinna, Isintume Charles, Nwachukwu Nonso, Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne, Nnonyelu Samson E., and Azotani Chuks Francis.
The NDC chairman said the party’s final list of candidates was produced after its primaries and appeal process, involving party stakeholders from Anambra, representatives of its presidential candidate and the party’s appeals panel.
He said the final list was signed off by the relevant stakeholders before being uploaded to the INEC portal using the code provided to the party by the commission.
However, Zuwoghe alleged that INEC officials responsible for the backend of the portal kept some of the party’s candidates on “Pending” status, claiming that the system already contained names submitted by officials who monitored the NDC primaries.
He said the NDC subsequently appealed the affected names, explaining that they did not emerge from the party’s nomination process, and submitted the names of its actual candidates with the necessary covering letter.
According to him, INEC nevertheless proceeded to publish the disputed names.
The NDC chairman further alleged that the commission bypassed the party by collecting Form EC-9 directly from some of the affected individuals and uploading them as candidates.
He described the development as unacceptable and contrary to the Electoral Act and INEC’s guidelines.
Zuwoghe argued that where there was a disagreement between candidates submitted by a political party and information allegedly obtained by INEC monitoring teams, the commission should have left the affected positions blank, rather than publishing what he described as fictitious candidates.
He also alleged that similar issues had been observed in other states, including Benue and Imo, particularly involving opposition parties.
The NDC chairman said the development had embarrassed the party.
