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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

INEC Denies Replacing NDC Candidates for 2027 Elections

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission denied allegations from the Nigeria Democratic Congress that it replaced the party’s candidates for the 2027 elections.
  • The dispute concerns nine names published as NDC candidates for some Anambra State House of Assembly constituencies, which the party said it did not authorize or submit.
  • INEC said parties nominate candidates through its electronic portal, whose records and audit trail can establish the source and history of entries.

Nigeria’s electoral commission has rejected an allegation that its officials inserted unauthorized candidates into the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ list for the 2027 elections.

The NDC said nine names appeared as its candidates in some Anambra State House of Assembly constituencies even though the party did not know, authorize or submit them. National Chairman Moses Zuwoghe called the matter especially disturbing because Anambra is the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

INEC Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission had no legal power to nominate candidates for political parties or replace nominees that parties had validly submitted. Candidate selection, he said, belongs to the parties, subject to the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable rules.

For the avoidance of doubt, INEC does not nominate candidates for political parties. The nomination of candidates is the responsibility of political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, Regulations and Guidelines.

— Adedayo OketolaINEC’s chief press secretary rejected the NDC’s allegation that the commission selected or substituted candidates.

Oketola said parties submit candidate details through INEC’s nomination portal using access credentials issued for that purpose. Every activity on the platform is electronically recorded, he said, allowing the commission to verify the history and source of any entry through its records and audit trail.

He said the claim that INEC officials had “smuggled” candidates onto the NDC list should not be decided through speculation. Documentary and electronic records, he said, would show what happened. Oketola also distinguished between INEC’s role in monitoring party primaries and the parties’ responsibility for nominating and submitting candidates. Monitoring a primary, he said, does not give the commission’s officials the power to nominate a candidate.

It is therefore possible to establish objectively the history and source of entries relating to any candidate whose name appears on the portal.

— Adedayo OketolaHe pointed to the nomination portal’s electronic records and audit trail.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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