NDC Accuses INEC Of Replacing Candidates With ‘Unknown Names’

By ADEMU IDAKWO and JAMES KWEN, Abuja

The battle for the 2027 elections took an unexpected turn yesterday as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of publishing names of candidates the party said it neither nominated nor submitted for the polls.

The opposition party alleged that the commission had replaced some of its duly nominated candidates with “unknown” names, raising fresh questions over the integrity of the nomination and candidate-upload process barely months to the 2027 general elections.

The allegation, which is particularly contentious in Anambra State — the home state of the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi — followed INEC’s publication of the list of candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections.

NDC national chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, in a statement he personally signed on Sunday, described the publication as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the party ahead of the elections and create disaffection among its supporters.

Repeated attempts to obtain INEC’s response to the allegation were unsuccessful as of press time.

When contacted, the commission’s director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, said she would contact the relevant department and revert. Subsequent attempts to obtain the commission’s response were unsuccessful.

The commission is expected to clarify the basis for the inclusion of the disputed names and whether they were submitted through the party’s nomination process or obtained by INEC through its monitoring of the party’s primaries.

NDC Alleges ‘Unauthorised’ Names

Cleopas alleged that INEC had uploaded and published unauthorised names as NDC candidates in several constituencies, particularly in Anambra State, the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He claimed that nine names published for the Anambra State House of Assembly elections were unknown to the party and were not among those submitted by the NDC to INEC.

The statement read in part: “The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, totally condemns the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its officials over the uploading and publication of unauthorized names in various constituencies, principally in the Anambra State House of Assembly … where nine names, unknown to the party; names not authorised by the party; names not sent by the party to INEC, in accordance with the law, have now been uploaded and published as candidates of the party.”

According to the NDC chairman, the disputed names include Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa for Onitsha South; Akpotue Obinna Chibuike for Onitsha South 2; Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North; Maduagwu Eric for Anaocha 1; Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North; Isintume Charles for Njikoka 1; Nwachukwu Nonso for Nnewi South 1; Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne for Nnewi South 2; Nnonyelu Samson E for Ayamelum; and Azotani Chuks Francis for Dunukofia.

Cleopas said that, as chairman and custodian of the code provided to the NDC by INEC for uploading its candidates, he did not upload the disputed names and that the party had not submitted them.

He said that following the conclusion of the party’s primaries and appeals, stakeholders from Anambra, party leaders, representatives of Obi and the party’s Appeals Panel produced and signed a final list of candidates.

According to him, when the list was uploaded to the INEC portal, nine names were kept on “Pending” status by INEC officials managing the backend of the system.

He claimed that the commission told the party the names were already in its system because they had been submitted by INEC officials who monitored the NDC primaries.

Cleopas said the NDC formally challenged the disputed names and submitted the names of its actual candidates, but INEC allegedly refused to alter them.

He further alleged that INEC subsequently collected Form EC-9 directly from the disputed candidates and uploaded the documents without going through the party.

“This not only runs against the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC’s own guidelines, it is simply unacceptable,” he said.

The NDC chairman argued that where information submitted by a political party differs from what INEC officials claimed to have obtained during monitoring, the commission should resolve the discrepancy with the party or leave the affected positions blank rather than publish names the party did not nominate.

Demands Investigation

Cleopas called on the INEC chairman to immediately investigate the matter and determine how the disputed names came to be published.

He also demanded that the investigation be extended to other constituencies, including those in Benue and Imo, where he alleged similar incidents had occurred.

The NDC chairman claimed the party’s preliminary investigation had indicated possible complicity by some INEC officials in the alleged substitution.

He alleged that the process was being used to embarrass and intimidate the party and create internal divisions among its members.

Cleopas further accused INEC of preventing political parties, particularly opposition parties, from uploading their legitimate candidates while allegedly imposing candidates on them.

NDC Threatens Legal Action

The NDC chairman said the party would pursue the matter through all available means and seek to have its authentic candidates restored.

He disclosed that the party was preparing to approach a court of competent jurisdiction for redress.

“Even as we move to approach the court of competent jurisdiction to seek redress and restore our authentic candidates, the general public and our millions of supporters should note that these are not our candidates, as published by INEC,” he said.

The controversy comes as INEC and political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the commission publishing candidates for various elective positions ahead of the polls.