The Independent National Electoral Commission has started checking its records after the Nigeria Democratic Congress raised concerns over the appearance of unfamiliar names on its list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The investigation follows allegations by the NDC that some individuals who were not selected or approved by the party were listed as its candidates in several State House of Assembly constituencies, with a number of the disputed names linked to Anambra State.
INEC, through its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission would examine its electronic and documentary records to establish how the names got onto the candidate list.
The commission maintained that political parties, rather than INEC, are responsible for choosing and submitting their candidates for elections. It said its role is to conduct the electoral process according to the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant rules.
Oketola explained that political parties use the commission’s candidate nomination portal to submit the details of their candidates through official access credentials. He added that activities on the platform are electronically recorded, making it possible to trace when and how candidate information was entered.
The commission therefore said the NDC’s claim that its officials secretly introduced candidates into the party’s list could be checked through the records available on the nomination system.
INEC also explained that monitoring a political party’s primary election does not give the commission the power to select candidates for that party. According to the commission, its officials attend party primaries for monitoring purposes, while the responsibility for choosing candidates remains with the political parties.
The electoral body said disputes over the outcome of party primaries, appeals and changes to nominated candidates must be handled under the Electoral Act and other applicable laws.
Oketola said the allegation that INEC officials obtained Form EC9 directly from aspirants and uploaded their details without the NDC’s approval was a matter that could be established through the commission’s records.
He called on the NDC to provide information and evidence about any INEC officials it believed were involved in unauthorised actions. The commission said any credible complaint against its personnel would be investigated through the proper process.
INEC also reminded political parties that they must follow the required procedures and deadlines when conducting primaries, handling internal appeals and submitting candidate information through the nomination portal.
The development followed a complaint by the NDC that INEC had removed some of its genuine candidates from the 2027 election list and replaced them with people the party did not recognise.
The party had earlier raised the issue publicly, claiming that nine names unknown to its leadership had appeared as its candidates for various constituencies in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
The NDC said the issue was troubling because Anambra is the home state of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. The party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, called for an immediate investigation to determine how the disputed names were submitted and published.
Among the names the party questioned were candidates listed for Onitsha South 1, Onitsha South 2, Orumba North, Anaocha 1, Idemili North, Njikoka 1, Nnewi South, Nnewi South 2, Ayamelum and Dunukofia constituencies.
The party further alleged that similar problems had been noticed in other states, including Benue and Imo, where it claimed that candidates approved by the party had been replaced by people it did not recognise.
The NDC called on INEC to extend its investigation beyond Anambra and examine the candidate lists across the affected states.
INEC, however, said it had no interest in deciding which individuals represent political parties in elections. The commission said its duty is to ensure that the nomination and election process is conducted fairly and according to the law.
The investigation is expected to establish whether the disputed names were submitted through the official nomination system, who entered the information and whether the process followed the required rules.
The outcome could determine whether the names remain on the 2027 election list or whether corrections will be required before the final candidate list is produced.