Produce Evidence We Removed Your Candidates, INEC Dares NDC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has dismissed as falsehood allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, that the Commission removed candidates purportedly nominated by the party for the 2027 general election and replaced them with unknown names, particularly for some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, in a chat with NTA INEC Correspondent Mie Ogidi, said INEC does not nominate candidates for political parties.

According to him, the nomination of candidates is the sole responsibility of political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, Regulations and Guidelines.

Oketola described as particularly serious the allegation by the NDC that INEC officials went behind the party to obtain Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants or candidates and thereafter uploaded their particulars without the authority of the party.

INEC, however, challenged the NDC to produce evidence implicating any of its officials in any unauthorized interference with its candidate nomination process and present such evidence and the particulars of the officials concerned to the Commission.

The Commission added that any credible allegation of misconduct by an official will be investigated in accordance with established procedures.