NDC Accuses INEC of Swapping 2027 Candidates With Fake Names in Anambra, Others
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has officially accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of systematically altering its list of officially nominated candidates ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections. In a detailed press statement issued from its Headquarters Secretariat at No. 4 Odiene Close, Off Librile Street, Wuse II, Abuja, dated August 30, 2026, the party alleged that unauthorized names were uploaded onto the electoral umpire’s candidate portal, supplanting legitimately selected flagbearers for several State House of Assembly constituencies across the federation.
Ejes Gist News understands, that the dispute primarily centers on the candidate list published by INEC for the Anambra State House of Assembly—the home state of the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi—alongside reported irregularities in constituencies within Benue State, Imo State, and other parts of the country.
Allegations of Unauthorized Portal Uploads
Reacting to the publication of the State Houses of Assembly candidate lists, the NDC National Chairman, Sen. Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, declared that the published names represent a deliberate attempt to compromise the party’s electoral preparedness and induce internal division among its members and supporters nationwide.
According to the official statement issued by the party chairman, the list released by the electoral body contained names of individuals who did not participate in or emerge victorious from the party’s official primary elections, nor were they cleared by the party’s statutory internal appeal mechanisms.
“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 (home state of our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi), where ten (10) names, unknown to the party; names not authorized by the party; names not sent by the party to INEC, in accordance with the law, have now been uploaded and published as candidates of the party.”
The party leadership emphasized that candidate nomination remains the constitutional prerogative of political parties under the Nigerian legal framework, asserting that the inclusion of unrecognized names on official lists compromises the integrity of the electoral process.
Disputed Anambra State House of Assembly Candidates
The controversy in Anambra State involves ten specific State House of Assembly constituencies where the NDC claims its authorized nominees were excluded in favor of unapproved individuals. The party published the names of the ten disputed candidates appearing on the INEC portal as follows:
| No. | Constituency | Published Candidate Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onitsha South 1 | Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa |
| 2 | Onitsha South 2 | Akpotue Obinna Chibuike |
| 3 | Orumba North | Nwankwo Chiemerie |
| 4 | Anaocha 1 | Maduagwu Eric K |
| 5 | Idemili North | Ngoebisi Obinna |
| 6 | Njikoka 1 | Isintume Charles |
| 7 | Nnewi South 1 | Nwachukwu Nonso |
| 8 | Nnewi South 2 | Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne |
| 9 | Ayamelum | Nnonyelu Samson E. |
| 10 | Dunukofia | Azotani Chuks Francis |
The NDC national leadership reiterated that these names were neither sanctioned nor uploaded by authorized party executives tasked with managing the candidate submission portal.
Procedural Disputes Regarding Form EC-9 and Backend Access
Providing further details regarding the candidate submission process, Sen. Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe clarified the administrative steps taken by the party following the conclusion of its primary elections and internal appeal procedures.
“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.”
The NDC Chairman explained that the candidate selection involved multiple internal organs and key stakeholders to ensure consensus and compliance with party guidelines prior to final submission.
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“What happened was that after the conclusion of our primaries and the appeal process (which is also a part and parcel of the primaries and candidates nomination process), the stakeholders from Anambra working with the party leadership, representatives of our presidential candidate, and the Appeals panel, which is the tradition of our party, produced a final list of candidates, a list which was signed off by all.”
However, the party alleged that technical barriers were encountered when attempting to submit the finalized list through the official INEC candidate nomination portal using the dedicated access credentials assigned to the party leadership.
“However, when that final list was uploaded to the INEC portal, using the code given us by the Electoral commission, the INEC officials who are in complete control of the backend of the portal kept nine of the names on ‘Pending’ status. Their claim was that their system already had those names, which they said were submitted by their officials who monitored the NDC primaries on the field.”
The NDC further alleged that despite formal correspondence sent to the commission clarifying the authentic nominees and appealing the status of the candidates, the commission proceeded to process personal candidate documentation directly.
“Even after the NDC had formally appealed those names, on the ground that they did not come from the party’s nomination process, and also sent the names of the actual candidates nominated by the party, with the necessary covering letter, INEC remained adamant. To further confirm that there was a predetermined effort on the part of INEC to impose the said nine candidates on the party, and embarrass both NDC and Mr. Peter Obi, INEC went behind the NDC to collect the Form EC-9 directly from the candidates, bypassing the party, and uploading same. It then went ahead to publish the controversial names as authentic candidates of the party.”
The NDC Chairman asserted that administrative guidelines require strict adherence to party submission channels, arguing that bypassing leadership structures contradicts established electoral regulations.
“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.”
Calls for Nationwide Portal Investigation
Beyond the specific constituencies in Anambra State, the NDC leadership stated that similar patterns of candidate replacement had been identified in other regions, calling for a comprehensive review of the electoral commission’s portal operations across all state commands.
“We call on the INEC Chairman to urgently and immediately cause an investigation into the matter and unravel how this came to be. The same investigation should also be carried out in other constituencies like Benue, Imo and others, as this mischief has not only caused an embarrassment to the party, its leadership and genuine candidates, but has caused a lot of dissatisfaction among the millions of the party’s supporters all over the country and in the Diaspora.”
The party disclosed that it has initiated an internal inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the candidate submission process and the role of external portal managers.
“We, as a party, are also carrying out our own independent investigation, the preliminary findings of which are already pointing to the complicity of INEC officials in foisting names purporting to be our candidates, but who are not from us, and using the uploading process as a tool of blackmail and intimidation against the party, and getting those names to be uploaded and published, for whatever purpose or ulterior motive.”
Sen. Cleopas expressed concern over what he described as an emerging trend where opposition political parties encounter operational difficulties on digital submission platforms, which he argued risks undermining party cohesion and internal democracy.
Regulatory Framework and Legal Context
Under the Electoral Act and standard guidelines governing Nigerian elections, the submission of candidate lists for general elections involves strict procedures:
- Primary Elections: Political parties conduct primaries monitored by INEC representatives to select candidate flagbearers.
- Appeals Process: Internal dispute resolution panels review petitions arising from primary elections prior to submission.
- Digital Submission Access: Designated national officers of political parties receive secure access credentials (codes) to upload candidate details and personal affidavits (Form EC-9) to the INEC portal.
- Publication of Lists: INEC publishes personal particulars of nominated candidates for public verification and legal objections.
The NDC maintained that it will pursue all administrative and legal remedies available under the law to reverse the published lists and secure the restoration of its official flagbearers ahead of the 2027 polls. As of the time of reporting, the Independent National Electoral Commission has not issued a formal public response regarding the specific allegations raised by the NDC leadership.