2027: NDC Disowns 10 Anambra Candidates on INEC Portal

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has rejected the 10 candidates listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections, saying the individuals were not nominated by the party or cleared through its internal selection process.

The party made its position known on Wednesday through its Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theophilus Agada, in a statement issued in Abuja. It also called for an electronic audit of INEC’s nomination system to establish how the names and documents of the affected candidates entered the commission’s records.

The NDC said it followed its established nomination and appeal procedures before submitting the names of its candidates to INEC. According to the party, only individuals who emerged from that process were uploaded for the commission’s consideration.

However, the party claimed that the names eventually published by INEC did not match those it had submitted. It also said it did not obtain or submit completed EC9E nomination forms for the 10 individuals whose names appeared on the commission’s list.

The affected names include Umennaajiego Ezenwa for Onitsha South I, Akpotue Chibuike for Onitsha South II, Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North, Maduagwu Eric K. for Anaocha I, Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North and Isintume Charles for Njikoka I.

Others listed are Nwachukwu Nonso for Nnewi South I, Okeke Akunne for Nnewi South II, Nnonyelu Samson E. for Ayamelum and Azotani Francis for Dunukofia.

The party questioned how INEC came to possess the nomination details and credentials of the individuals, arguing that political parties are responsible for submitting the names and required documents of their candidates to the electoral commission.

The latest complaint is a continuation of the dispute between the NDC and INEC over the publication of candidates for the 2027 elections. The party had earlier threatened legal action after alleging that some of its candidates were replaced on INEC’s lists by people it did not recognise.

The NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, had previously raised concerns over the appearance of unfamiliar names on the commission’s list for several Anambra constituencies. He alleged that the development could cause confusion within the opposition party ahead of the general elections.

The party has also drawn attention to the issue because Anambra is the home state of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, making the handling of its candidates in the state a matter of particular interest to the party.

Following the allegations, INEC began checking its records to determine how the disputed names came to be associated with the NDC’s list.

The electoral commission, however, rejected the claim that it had replaced candidates submitted by the party. INEC said it does not have the legal power to nominate candidates for political parties or replace properly nominated candidates with individuals of its own choice.

The commission maintained that candidate nomination remains the responsibility of political parties, while INEC’s role is to process and publish the names submitted in accordance with electoral laws and established procedures.

The NDC is now demanding further scrutiny of the commission’s electronic nomination platform, particularly the process through which candidate information and supporting documents were received and recorded.

The party said the audit should help clarify the source of the disputed names and credentials and determine whether there was an error, unauthorised access or another problem within the nomination process.

The dispute comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections, with candidate lists and nomination procedures expected to remain closely watched by political groups and their supporters.