The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of publishing 10 names as its candidates for the Anambra State House of Assembly in the 2027 elections without the party's nomination. The NDC, through its National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, claims the disputed names were uploaded after the party had submitted its own list and that INEC collected nomination forms directly from the affected individuals, bypassing the party.
Disputed Names and Constituencies
The NDC listed the 10 people it says INEC wrongly presented as its candidates in the affected Anambra constituencies. They are: Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa for Onitsha South 1, Akpotue Obinna Chibuike for Onitsha South 2, Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North, Maduagwu Eric K for Anaocha 1, Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North, Isintume Charles for Njikoka 1, Nwachukwu Nonso for Nnewi South, Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne for Nnewi South 2, Nnonyelu Samson E for Ayamelum, and Azotani Chuks Francis for Dunukofia.
The dispute follows INEC's publication of candidates for the 2027 State Houses of Assembly elections on Sunday, August 30, 2026. According to a statement on the NDC's official X account, the names appearing under its platform in parts of Anambra do not match the list approved by the party after its primaries and appeals process.
Allegations of INEC's Role
Senator Zuwoghe alleged that INEC officials left nine of the party's submitted names in “Pending” status on the nomination portal. He said the explanation given was that the names already existed in INEC's system based on information submitted by officials who monitored the NDC primaries. The party challenged the entries and submitted what it described as its legitimate candidate list, but the disputed names remained.
Zuwoghe further alleged that INEC subsequently collected Form EC-9 directly from the people whose names were in dispute and uploaded the forms without going through the NDC. He described this as evidence of what he called a deliberate attempt to impose candidates on the party. “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 the same,” he said.
Context and Next Steps
The NDC chairman said the controversy arose after the NDC completed its nomination process in Anambra. According to him, stakeholders from Anambra, the party leadership, representatives of the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and members of the appeals panel agreed on a final list after the primaries and appeal process. The list was subsequently signed off and uploaded to the INEC candidate nomination portal using an access code provided to the party by the electoral commission.
Candidate nomination is one of the most consequential stages of an election because the names submitted and accepted through the process determine who appears on the ballot. The controversy is therefore potentially significant for the affected NDC aspirants and their supporters, and it also comes at a sensitive point for the NDC, which is preparing for its first general election cycle as a recognised political party. The party has also been involved in a legal dispute over its registration when, in June, a Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside an earlier judgement that had compelled INEC to register the NDC.
The NDC has also alleged that similar problems may have occurred in other states. Zuwoghe specifically mentioned Benue and Imo, where he said the party had observed what it described as a similar pattern of its preferred candidates being left out and other names appearing instead. The party has called for an investigation into the matter and said it would conduct its own investigation as well.
As of the time of filing, INEC had not publicly responded to the NDC's specific allegation that it replaced the party's candidates with unauthorised names in Anambra. The commission's current website lists the NDC among its recognised and certified political parties and identifies Zuwoghe as the party's national chairman. The NDC says it plans to seek legal redress over the dispute.
