Party alleges unauthorized names were uploaded as its candidates in Anambra State House of Assembly constituencies
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some of its officials of allegedly uploading and publishing unauthorized names as candidates of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The allegation was contained in a press statement dated August 30, 2026, signed by the NDC National Chairman, Sen. Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe.
The party said the alleged irregularity was particularly concerning in Anambra State, the home state of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, where it claimed that 10 names unknown to the party had been published as its candidates for various State House of Assembly constituencies.
According to the NDC, the names were neither authorized by the party nor submitted by its leadership to INEC in accordance with the electoral process.
The party described the development as a deliberate attempt to undermine the NDC ahead of the 2027 elections and create dissatisfaction among its supporters.
NDC DEMANDS INVESTIGATION
Reacting to INEC’s publication of the list of candidates, Cleopas called on the INEC Chairman to immediately investigate how the disputed names appeared on the commission’s portal.
The party alleged that the issue was not limited to Anambra, claiming that similar concerns had emerged in constituencies in Benue, Imo and other states.
The NDC chairman said the alleged substitution of authentic candidates with individuals who were not nominated by the party had caused embarrassment to the party and generated disaffection among its supporters in Nigeria and the diaspora.
The party further alleged that its own preliminary investigation was pointing to possible complicity by some INEC officials.
It accused unnamed officials of allegedly using the uploading process to frustrate the party’s candidates and create confusion over its nominations.
These allegations have not been independently established, and INEC’s response to the claims was not contained in the statement.
NDC LISTS DISPUTED ANAMBRA CANDIDATES
The party identified the following names as among those it said were unauthorized candidates published in Anambra State:
- Onitsha South 1 — Umennajego Jude Ezenwa
- Onitsha South 2 — Akpotue Chibna Chibue
- Orumba North — Nwankwo Chiemerie
- Anaocha 1 — Maduagwu Eric K
- Idemili North — Ngoebesi Obinna
- Njikoka 1 — Isintume Charles
- Nnewi South — Nwachukwu Nonso
- Nnewi South 2 — Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne
- Ayamelum — Nnonyelu Samson E.
- Dunukofia — Azotani Chuks Francis
The NDC said the individuals listed were not the candidates produced through its nomination process.
HOW THE DISPUTE ALLEGEDLY STARTED
According to Cleopas, the NDC conducted its primaries and appeal process before producing what it described as a final list of candidates for submission to INEC.
He said the final list was signed off by relevant stakeholders, including representatives of the party leadership, the presidential candidate and the Appeals Panel.
However, he alleged that when the list was uploaded to the INEC portal using the access code provided to the party, nine names were left on “Pending” status.
According to the chairman, INEC officials allegedly claimed that the names already existed in the commission’s system because they had supposedly been submitted by officials who monitored the NDC primaries.
The party rejected that explanation, insisting that the individuals were not its nominated candidates.
Cleopas said the NDC subsequently appealed the decision and supplied INEC with the names of the candidates it said were genuinely nominated, together with the necessary covering letter.
He alleged that INEC nevertheless proceeded to publish the disputed names.
PARTY ALLEGES INEC WENT BEHIND NDC
The NDC further alleged that INEC subsequently obtained Form EC-9 directly from some of the disputed individuals, despite the party’s position that they were not its candidates.
The party said the development reinforced its suspicion that there was a deliberate effort to impose the disputed candidates on the party.
Cleopas described the alleged conduct as unacceptable and said INEC should, at the very least, have left the affected positions vacant if it believed there were problems with the party’s submissions rather than publishing names the party said it did not nominate.
“At the very worst, INEC could have left us with no candidates for those positions, if they knew they were unwilling to engage us in addressing any perceived anomaly.”
NDC SAYS DISPUTE EXTENDS BEYOND ANAMBRA
The party said it had observed what it described as a wider pattern of difficulties involving the uploading of its candidates across the country.
According to the statement, the party wants the investigation extended to other constituencies where similar allegations have emerged.
The NDC maintained that the issue goes beyond individual candidates and could undermine confidence in the electoral process if not properly addressed.
The party also alleged that some of the disputed uploads were being used to create internal disagreements and weaken opposition parties.
NDC VOWS TO PURSUE MATTER
Cleopas said the NDC would continue to pursue the matter until the alleged irregularities were corrected.
He called on INEC to investigate its officials and establish how names allegedly not submitted by the party found their way onto the commission’s published candidate list.
The development comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections. The NDC has previously said it has concluded its nomination processes and submitted candidates to INEC.
The party’s latest allegation therefore places additional attention on the process of candidate nomination, verification and publication ahead of the elections.
The NDC said it would continue its own investigation while pursuing available legal and administrative channels to ensure that what it described as the authentic candidates of the party are recognized.
INEC has yet to publicly respond to the specific allegations contained in the NDC’s August 30 statement.
For the NDC, the central demand remains straightforward: investigate how the disputed names were uploaded, establish responsibility and correct the candidate list where errors or unauthorized submissions are found.
**IBN News will continue to monitor developments and bring you updates as they emerge.**
