The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that it removed the party’s nominated candidates for some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue states and replaced them with unauthorised names. In a statement by its spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, INEC said the commission had no legal authority to select, insert or substitute candidates for political parties.
The commission said the allegations were unfounded, insisting that political parties, not INEC, are responsible for nominating and submitting their candidates for elections. “Candidate nomination is, by law, the exclusive responsibility of political parties. INEC has no legal authority to select, insert, or substitute a candidate for any party,” the statement read in part.
INEC’s position followed allegations by the NDC accusing the electoral commission of “systematically removing” its candidates for the 2027 general elections and replacing them with “strange names” unknown to the party. INEC said its monitoring of party primaries was only a statutory oversight function and did not give the commission the power to choose or impose candidates on political parties.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the NDC accused INEC of publishing names of people it said were not authorised by the party as its candidates, particularly for State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State. The party’s National Chairman, Moses Zuwoghe, said the development was a deliberate attempt to undermine the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mr Zuwoghe specifically alleged that 10 names published by INEC as NDC candidates in Anambra were unknown to the party and had not been submitted by its leadership. He listed the affected candidates as Umennaaijiego Jude Ezenwa for Onitsha South I; Akpotue Obinna Chibuike for Onitsha South II; Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North; Maduagwu Eric K. for Anaocha I; Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North;