NDC disowns 10 Anambra candidates listed by INEC

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the nomination of 10 persons listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidates for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections.

The party alleged that the affected names were neither submitted by its leadership nor produced through its established nomination and appeal processes.

The NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theophilus Agada, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

Agada said the party had submitted only candidates who emerged from its appeal process, but claimed that INEC subsequently published different names.

“The 10 names published by INEC neither emerged from the party’s nomination process nor its appeal process,” he said.

According to him, the party did not collect or submit completed EC9E forms for any of the 10 persons listed by the commission.

The affected candidates are 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 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 argued that political parties have the statutory responsibility of forwarding the names and credentials of their nominated candidates to INEC for processing and publication.

Agada consequently demanded an electronic audit of INEC’s nomination portal to establish how the names and credentials of the 10 individuals allegedly entered the commission’s records.

“How did the commission obtain their credentials when it is the party’s legal duty to submit the names of its approved candidates?” he queried.

The latest dispute follows an earlier warning by the NDC that it could take legal action against INEC over alleged substitution of its candidates for the 2027 State House of Assembly elections.

The party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, had on Sunday accused the electoral commission of publishing what he described as “strange names” as NDC candidates in several constituencies, particularly in Anambra.

Cleopas said the matter was particularly sensitive because Anambra is the home state of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

INEC subsequently began reviewing its records following the allegation.

The commission, however, denied replacing candidates validly nominated by the NDC.

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 validly nominated candidates with individuals of its choice.