Party alleges INEC published candidates it did not nominate, particularly in Anambra, and demands an immediate investigation.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of systematically removing its nominated candidates from the list for the 2027 general elections and replacing them with names the party says it did not authorise.
The party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, made the allegation in a statement on Sunday, describing the development as an attempt to undermine the party ahead of the elections.
The NDC said the issue was particularly noticeable in Anambra State, where it alleged that nine candidates whose names were not submitted through the party’s nomination process were uploaded and published by INEC.
According to the party, it had submitted a final list of candidates produced after its primaries and appeal process. It alleged, however, that INEC officials kept some names submitted during the monitoring of the party’s primaries in “pending” status despite the NDC’s objections.
The party further alleged that INEC subsequently obtained Form EC-9 directly from the disputed individuals and published their names as the party’s candidates.
Cleopas called on the INEC Chairman to immediately investigate the matter and determine how the disputed names were uploaded.
He also urged the commission to extend the investigation to other states, including Benue and Imo, where the party claimed similar irregularities had been observed.
The NDC said it was conducting its own investigation and alleged possible involvement of some INEC officials in the disputed candidate listings.
The party warned that the development could cause confusion among its supporters and genuine candidates, insisting that INEC should correct any unauthorised names and recognise candidates validly nominated by the party.