NDC Allegations: We Don’t Nominate Candidates For Political Parties — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it does not nominate candidates for political parties, following allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that some candidates purportedly nominated by the party for the 2027 general elections were removed and replaced with names allegedly unknown to it.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP on Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission had no legal authority to nominate candidates for political parties or substitute its preferred candidate for one validly nominated by a party in accordance with the law.

The clarification followed the NDC’s allegations, particularly concerning some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State.

Oketola explained that the responsibility for nominating candidates rested with political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.

He said the candidate nomination portal provided by INEC was the platform through which political parties submitted the particulars of their candidates using access credentials issued for that purpose.

According to him, activities carried out through the portal were electronically recorded and could be verified through the commission’s records and audit trail.

He said it was therefore possible to establish the history and source of entries relating to any candidate whose name appeared on the portal.

Oketola said the allegation that INEC officials introduced or “smuggled” candidates into the NDC’s list should not be determined through speculation, stressing that the electronic and documentary records were capable of establishing the facts.

He also clarified the distinction between INEC’s responsibility to monitor political party primaries and the responsibility of political parties to nominate and submit their candidates.

According to him, the commission’s monitoring of a political party primary did not amount to the nomination of a candidate by INEC.

He added that reports made by INEC officials who monitored party primaries did not confer on the commission the power to choose candidates for political parties.

“The monitoring process serves the statutory purposes prescribed by law and does not transfer the party’s responsibility for nomination to the commission,” he said.

Oketola further explained that where questions arose over the person who validly emerged from a political party primary, the effect of an appeal arising from the primary or the validity of any subsequent attempt to alter the outcome of the nomination process, such matters had to be resolved within the framework of the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws.

He said INEC could not assume the role of a political party in choosing its candidates or disregard applicable statutory requirements governing the nomination and submission of candidates.

On the NDC’s allegation that INEC officials went behind the party to obtain Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants or candidates and subsequently uploaded their particulars without the authority of the party, Oketola described the allegation as serious.

He, however, said the claim was capable of objective verification from the commission’s electronic and documentary records.

Oketola said INEC would examine the relevant records relating to the constituencies identified by the NDC, while urging the party to make available any evidence implicating commission officials in unauthorised interference with its candidate nomination process.

He added that any credible allegation of misconduct by an official of the commission would be investigated in accordance with established procedures.

The INEC spokesman stressed that the commission had no institutional interest in the choice of candidates made by any political party, saying its responsibility was to administer the electoral process impartially and in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable regulations and guidelines.

He also said political parties had a corresponding responsibility to ensure that their nomination processes, internal appeals, submission of candidates and use of the commission’s candidate nomination portal were conducted in accordance with the law and within the prescribed timelines.

Oketola said INEC would continue to address legitimate concerns concerning the candidate nomination process on the basis of its records and the applicable law.

He maintained that the commission would neither nominate candidates for political parties nor lend itself to the imposition of candidates on any political party.