NDC: Disowns 2027 Anambra INEC Candidates, Demands Portal Audit

• The Nigeria Democratic Congress has disowned ten candidates published by INEC for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections, stating they were neither nominated nor had their Form EC9E documents submitted by the party.
• NDC Director of New Media, Theophilus Agada, confirmed that INEC rejected the party's approved candidates and instead published individuals unknown to them.
• The party has demanded an immediate electronic audit of INEC's nomination portal to investigate how these unauthorized names appeared.
• This follows earlier allegations by NDC National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas that INEC was replacing legitimate candidates with "strange names" in Anambra, the home state of their presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
• INEC has begun examining its records but denies having the legal authority to nominate or substitute candidates for political parties.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has formally disavowed ten individuals published by the Independent National Electoral Commission as its candidates for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections, firmly stating that these persons were neither nominated by the party nor had their official Form EC9E documents submitted through its channels.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has formally disavowed ten individuals published by the Independent National Electoral Commission as its candidates for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections, firmly stating that these persons were neither nominated by the party nor had their official Form EC9E documents submitted through its channels. This significant development has prompted the NDC to demand an immediate electronic audit of INEC’s nomination portal, seeking to understand how the names and credentials of these alleged candidates found their way into the commission’s system.

The party's Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theophilus Agada, issued a statement from Abuja on Wednesday, clarifying the NDC's position. Agada asserted that the ten names listed by INEC did not originate from the party’s internal nomination process or its subsequent appeal procedures. He further explained that while the NDC had uploaded candidates who successfully emerged from their appeal process, the electoral commission reportedly rejected these approved names and instead published individuals entirely unknown to the party leadership.

The list of disowned candidates includes Umennaajiego Ezenwa for Onitsha South 1, Akpotue Chibuike for Onitsha South II, Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North, Maduagwu Eric K. for Anaocha I, and Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North. Also on the list are Isintume Charles for Njikoka I, Nwachukwu Nonso for Nnewi South I, Okeke Akunne for Nnewi South II, Nnonyelu Samson E. for Ayamelum, and Azotani Francis for Dunukofia. This dispute highlights a critical issue regarding the integrity of candidate submissions for the upcoming elections, with the NDC disowns 2027 Anambra INEC candidates situation drawing considerable attention.

The NDC firmly maintains that the process for nominating candidates is clearly defined, placing the legal responsibility squarely on political parties to submit the names and particulars of their chosen representatives before INEC processes and publishes them. The party explicitly stated that it did not collect or forward the completed EC9E forms for any of the ten individuals whose names subsequently appeared on INEC’s published list. Theophilus Agada questioned how the commission could have obtained the credentials of these affected persons, given that the legal duty to submit approved candidate names rests with the party itself.

This latest controversy follows earlier threats by the NDC to initiate legal action against INEC. Days prior, the party had alleged that candidates it nominated for the 2027 State Houses of Assembly elections were being replaced with what it described as "strange names" unknown to the party. Senator Moses Cleopas, the NDC National Chairman, had raised this alarm in a statement issued on Sunday from Abuja, specifically accusing the commission of publishing unauthorized names as its candidates in several constituencies, particularly within Anambra State.

Senator Cleopas characterized this development as part of a broader pattern designed to sow confusion and internal disaffection among opposition parties in the run-up to the 2027 general elections. He underscored the particular significance of the alleged discrepancies in Anambra, noting it is the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi. These allegations collectively point to a serious INEC 2027 State House of Assembly dispute, raising questions about the reliability of the candidate submission process.

In response to the serious allegations, the Independent National Electoral Commission has initiated an examination of its records. This internal review aims to determine the circumstances under which names allegedly unknown to the Nigeria Democratic Congress appeared on the party's list of candidates for the 2027 elections. However, the commission has vehemently denied the core allegation that it replaced candidates legitimately nominated by the NDC with individuals unknown to the party.

Adedayo Oketola, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, addressed the issue on Monday, stating unequivocally that the commission lacks the legal authority to nominate candidates for political parties. Furthermore, Oketola clarified that INEC is not empowered to substitute candidates who have been validly nominated by political parties with its own preferred persons. This stance underscores the regulatory body's position on its role in the electoral process, even as the NDC continues to press for answers regarding the Form EC9E candidate submission issues and the overall integrity of the INEC portal audit.

Lawyers advising political parties or candidates must meticulously verify INEC's published candidate lists against their party's official submissions to mitigate risks of unauthorized nominations and potential litigation, particularly concerning the integrity of the electoral body's portal and the legal responsibility for candidate data.

Source: Original reporting via The PUNCH