Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has formally disowned 10 candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections, insisting that it neither nominated the individuals nor submitted their Form EC9E documents to the electoral body. In a dramatic escalation of the dispute, the party has demanded an immediate electronic audit of INEC's nomination portal to determine how the names and credentials of the alleged impostors found their way into the commission's system.
The NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Agada Abuh Theophilus, disclosed the party's position in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The party maintained that the 10 names published by INEC did not emerge from its nomination process or its appeal process, and that it uploaded only candidates who emerged from its internal procedures. "The NDC did not collect or forward completed EC9E forms for the 10 persons whose names later appeared on INEC's published list," the statement read.
The candidates disowned by the party include: Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa (Onitsha South 1), Akpotue Obinna Chibuike (Onitsha South 2), Nwankwo Chiemerie (Orumba North), Maduagwu Eric K. (Anaocha 1), Ngoebisi Obinna (Idemili North), Isintume Charles (Njikoka 1), Nwachukwu Nonso (Nnewi South 1), Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne (Nnewi South 2), Nnonyelu Samson E. (Ayamelum), and Azotani Chuks Francis (Dunukofia). The party's National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, who is the custodian of the access code issued to the NDC for uploading candidates, stated unequivocally that he never uploaded the disputed names.
According to the NDC, following the conclusion of its primaries and appeal process, Anambra stakeholders, working with party leadership, representatives of the presidential candidate, and the appeals panel, produced a final list that was signed off by all parties involved. When that list was uploaded using the access code provided by INEC, some of the party's names were allegedly kept on "Pending" status by officials controlling the backend of the portal, who claimed that the system already contained names submitted by INEC's field monitors. The NDC said it formally appealed the disputed entries and submitted its actual nominees with a covering letter, but alleged that INEC declined to replace the names. The party further alleged that the commission collected Form EC9 directly from the disputed candidates and subsequently published them as NDC candidates.
The NDC has framed the controversy as a deliberate plot to sabotage the party ahead of the general election and create dissatisfaction among its supporters. The party described the development as significant because Anambra is the home state of the NDC's presidential candidate, former Governor Peter Obi. "The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, totally condemns the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its officials over the uploading and publication of unauthorized names in various constituencies, principally in the Anambra State House of Assembly," Cleopas said in a statement.
The NDC chairman condemned what he called an emerging pattern in which INEC deliberately prevents parties from uploading their rightful candidates while imposing names on them, particularly opposition parties, thereby fuelling internal crisis. He argued that where the commission had concerns about a party's submissions, it should have left the slots blank rather than preload names and block the party from uploading its nominees. "At the very worst, INEC could have left us with no candidates for those positions if it was unwilling to engage us on any perceived anomaly," Cleopas said. The party has vowed to pursue the matter to the very end, ensuring that the alleged mischief is reversed.
INEC has firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as unfounded. In a statement on Tuesday, the commission's Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, stated that any claim that the commission independently uploaded or altered candidate information is unfounded and untrue. INEC emphasised that candidate nomination is the exclusive responsibility of political parties. "INEC has no legal authority to select, insert, or substitute a candidate for any party," Haruna said. The commission insisted that it has evidence that the uploaded candidates were listed and submitted to the commission, duly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the NDC. INEC also noted that it only trained officers recommended by political parties, after which portal access codes were issued directly and in person to each party's National Chairman.
The controversy has raised significant concerns about the integrity of the candidate nomination process ahead of the 2027 elections. The NDC's demand for an electronic audit of INEC's nomination portal reflects a growing distrust of the electoral commission's technology systems. The party has questioned how INEC obtained the credentials of the affected persons when it is the party's legal duty to submit the names of its approved candidates. The dispute has also drawn attention to the broader pattern of allegations from opposition parties, with the NDC claiming similar irregularities in Benue and Imo states. As the 2027 elections approach, the resolution of this standoff will be closely watched by political observers and stakeholders who are concerned about the credibility of the electoral process. For the NDC, the stakes could not be higher, with the legitimacy of its candidates in Anambra—the home state of its presidential candidate—hanging in the balance.
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