INEC Rejects NDC ‘Candidate Smuggling’ Allegation, Demands Evidence

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that its officials manipulated the party’s candidate list for the 2027 general elections, insisting that political parties alone are responsible for nominating and submitting their candidates.

The commission said the allegation, particularly concerning some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State, was false and capable of being objectively verified through its electronic and documentary records.

INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, made the clarification while speaking with journalists in Abuja.

He explained that the commission’s role was limited to administering the electoral process and monitoring party primaries, adding that it had no legal authority to nominate candidates or replace a candidate validly chosen by a political party.

“Similarly, the commission does not possess the legal authority to select a candidate for a political party or substitute its own preferred candidate for a person validly nominated by a political party in accordance with the law,” Oketola said.

He said political parties submit candidates’ particulars through the candidate nomination portal using access credentials provided by INEC. According to him, every activity conducted on the platform is electronically recorded, making it possible to trace the source and history of entries.

Oketola therefore urged the NDC and other stakeholders to rely on verifiable records rather than speculation in determining how names appeared on the commission’s platform.

He said, “The allegation that officials of the commission introduced or ‘smuggled’ candidates into the NDC’s list is not a matter that should be determined by speculation. The electronic and documentary records relating to the affected constituencies are capable of establishing the relevant facts.”

The commission also drew a distinction between its monitoring of party primaries and the nomination of candidates, stressing that monitoring a primary does not confer on INEC the power to select candidates for a political party.

According to Oketola, where disputes arise over who emerged from a primary, the validity of an appeal or subsequent attempts to alter the outcome, such matters must be resolved in line with the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant laws.

He said INEC could neither assume the role of a political party in choosing candidates nor disregard statutory requirements governing the nomination and submission process.

On the NDC’s specific allegation that INEC officials obtained Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants and uploaded their details without the party’s authorisation, the commission described the claim as serious and said it would examine the relevant records.

Oketola urged the NDC to submit any evidence it has against specific officials to facilitate investigation.

“Any credible allegation of misconduct by an official of the commission will be investigated in accordance with established procedures,” he said.

He maintained that INEC had no interest in determining which candidates emerge from political parties, stressing that its responsibility was to administer elections impartially and according to the Constitution, Electoral Act and applicable regulations.

The commission, however, reminded political parties of their responsibility to ensure that their internal nomination processes, appeals and submission of candidates through the INEC portal comply with the law and prescribed timelines.

INEC assured that it would continue to address legitimate concerns surrounding the candidate nomination process based on its records and applicable legislation.

“The commission will neither nominate candidates for political parties nor lend itself to the imposition of candidates on any political party,” Oketola said.