2027: NDC Faults INEC List, Rejects 10 Candidates
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected 10 names published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidates for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections.
It alleged that the names were unauthorised and unlawfully inserted into its candidate list.
Politics Nigeria reports that the party accused INEC officials of deliberately sidelining its duly nominated candidates and replacing them with what it described as “INEC-chosen imposters”, warning that the development could undermine its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
NDC National Chairman, Moses Zuwoghe, raised the alarm in a statement issued on Sunday, claiming that the disputed names appeared on INEC’s published list despite not being submitted or authorised by the party.
According to him, the development was particularly troubling because Anambra is the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Zuwoghe said he was the custodian of the credentials required to upload the party’s candidates to the INEC portal and insisted that he did not upload the disputed names.
“I, as Chairman of the Party and custodian of the code given to the NDC for the upload of our candidates, never uploaded those names, and I unequivocally state that the party did not also upload those nine names,” he said.
The party chairman listed the disputed candidates as Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa for Onitsha South 1; Akpotue Obinna Chibuike for Onitsha South 2; Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North; Maduagwu Eric K for Anaocha 1; Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North; Isintume Charles for Njikoka 1; Nwachukwu Nonso for Nnewi South; Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne for Nnewi South 2; Nnonyelu Samson E for Ayamelum; and Azotani Chuks Francis for Dunukofia.
Zuwoghe described the alleged substitution as a serious breach of electoral rules, arguing that INEC should not introduce candidates into a party’s list without the party’s authorisation.
He maintained that where there was a discrepancy between candidates submitted by a political party and information obtained by INEC officials, the commission should have left the affected positions vacant pending clarification, rather than publish names the party did not recognise.
The NDC also alleged that the problem was not limited to Anambra, claiming that similar attempts to exclude its candidates had been observed in other states, including Benue and Imo.
Zuwoghe called on INEC Chairman to order an immediate investigation into the alleged irregularities and determine how the disputed names found their way into the commission’s published list.
He said the investigation should cover all constituencies where the party suspected that its genuine candidates had been replaced.
The NDC chairman further alleged an emerging pattern in which political parties were allegedly prevented from uploading their nominated candidates while other names were introduced without their consent.
He said such actions, if established, could create internal crises within political parties and erode public confidence in the electoral process.
The party vowed to challenge the alleged irregularities through legal channels, saying it would pursue the matter until its authentic candidates were restored.
Zuwoghe urged NDC members and supporters not to recognise the 10 individuals listed by INEC as candidates of the party, insisting that the names did not represent the party’s nominations for the affected constituencies.
