Nigeria: NDC Accuses INEC of Replacing Candidates With 'Unknown Names'

What the report says

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of publishing candidate names it says were never nominated or submitted by the party for the 2027 elections. The allegation, reported by Leadership and distributed by AllAfrica on 31 August 2026, centers on candidate lists for the Anambra State House of Assembly, a politically sensitive state because it is the home state of the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to NDC national chairman Senator Moses Cleopas, nine names appearing in the INEC publication were unknown to the party and were not among the candidates approved through its primaries and appeals process. He said the party’s final list was signed by stakeholders and party officials, but that INEC’s portal later showed some entries as “pending” and then retained the disputed names. Cleopas also alleged that INEC handled the matter through officials who monitored the party’s primaries and later uploaded documents directly from the affected individuals.

INEC had not publicly responded at the time of the report. A commission spokesperson said she would seek a response from the relevant department, but no clarification was available before publication. The NDC said the discrepancy may reflect wider problems in candidate upload and nomination procedures, and asked INEC leadership to investigate and correct the list.

The party said it would seek legal redress if needed and called for the restoration of what it describes as its authentic candidates. The dispute adds to the early buildup toward Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, where the integrity of candidate selection and election administration is already under scrutiny.