INEC challenges NDC to provide evidence of “smuggled” candidates in Anambra

ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has challenged the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC to provide evidence of officials allegedly involved in smuggling unknown candidates into the party’s list for some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State, ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, Dayo Oketola, in a chat with our correspondent on Monday, said the Commission would only act on the allegations if the NDC could substantiate them with credible evidence and the particulars of the officials involved, noting that its position was not to make speculative claims about matters capable of objective verification.

He said; “Rather than make categorical assertions on matters that can readily be established from those records, the Commission will examine the relevant records relating to the constituencies identified by the NDC. If the party has evidence implicating any official of the Commission in any unauthorised interference with its candidate nomination process, it should make such evidence and the particulars of the officials concerned available to the Commission”.

Oketola clarified that INEC has no power to nominate or substitute candidates for any political party, stressing that such responsibility rests solely with the parties themselves, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and applicable regulations.

“For the avoidance of doubt, INEC does not nominate candidates for political parties. The nomination of candidates is the responsibility of political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, Regulations and Guidelines,” he said, adding that 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.”

He explained that the candidate nomination portal, through which political parties submit their candidates’ particulars using access credentials issued to them, generates electronic records and an audit trail capable of establishing the history and source of any entry on the portal.

According to him, this makes the NDC’s allegation that INEC officials obtained Form EC9 directly from aspirants and uploaded their particulars without the party’s authority “particularly serious” but equally verifiable. “Such an allegation is capable of objective verification from the Commission’s electronic and documentary records,” he said.

Oketola further distinguished between INEC’s statutory duty to monitor party primaries and the responsibility of parties to nominate and submit candidates, stating that the former does not confer on the Commission any power over candidate selection.

“The Commission’s monitoring of a political party primary does not amount to nomination of a candidate by INEC. Neither does a report made by officials who monitor a primary confer upon the Commission the power to choose a candidate for the political party,” he said, adding that disputes over who validly emerged from a party primary, or the effect of any appeal arising from it, must be resolved strictly within the framework of the Electoral Act 2026.

He maintained that INEC has no stake in which candidate any political party fields, insisting that its sole responsibility is the impartial administration of the electoral process. “It is important, however, to emphasise that the Commission has no institutional interest in the choice of candidate made by any political party. Its responsibility is to administer the electoral process impartially and in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable Regulations and Guidelines,” he said.

Oketola added that political parties also bear responsibility for ensuring that their nomination processes, internal appeals and use of the Commission’s portal comply strictly with the law and prescribed timelines, and assured that any credible allegation of misconduct by an INEC official would be investigated.

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