INEC Denies Replacing NDC Candidates On Nomination Portal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that it removed duly nominated candidates in some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue States and replaced them with unauthorised names.

INEC said the allegation was unfounded, insisting that the commission has no legal authority to select, insert or substitute candidates on behalf of political parties.

The commission’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee.

Haruna explained that candidate nomination is the responsibility of political parties, while INEC’s role is limited to overseeing the electoral process and monitoring party primaries in accordance with the law.

He said the commission did not independently upload or alter candidate information submitted by any political party.

According to him, ahead of the 2027 general elections, all 22 registered political parties designated two technically trained officers to manage their candidate nomination processes after participating in training organised by INEC.

He added that portal access codes were subsequently issued directly and in person to the National Chairmen of the respective parties and were not released through proxies.

Haruna further stated that candidate lists were generated based on information submitted by the political parties and jointly signed by their National Chairmen and National Secretaries through the relevant Form EC9 series.

He maintained that the process provided no opportunity for INEC to independently insert or replace candidates submitted by political parties.

The clarification followed an earlier allegation by the NDC that some of its validly nominated candidates had been removed from the INEC nomination portal and replaced with names that were not authorised by the party.

However, INEC said it possesses documentary evidence indicating that the candidates in question were submitted by the NDC itself.

Haruna specifically disclosed that the commission has copies of Form EC9E containing the names of the affected candidates, with the document duly signed by the NDC National Chairman and National Secretary.

He therefore dismissed the allegation that INEC independently uploaded or altered the party’s candidate information, describing such a claim as unfounded and untrue.

The commission reiterated its commitment to transparency, accountability and fairness as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

INEC also stressed that political parties remain responsible for determining and submitting their candidates, while the commission’s responsibility is to administer the electoral process in accordance with existing laws and regulations.