Anambra Lawmaker Challenges INEC Over Candidate Listing

Francis Chuks Azotani, the lawmaker representing Dunukofia Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly and Chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, has submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the erroneous listing of his name as a candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming 2027 general elections. Azotani clarified that he is a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and has not defected or expressed any intention to run for office under the NDC.

In his letter to the INEC Chairman in Abuja, he described the listing as a mix-up and requested its immediate withdrawal. This situation arises amid a dispute between the NDC and INEC regarding candidate publications for the 2027 State Houses of Assembly elections, where the NDC accused INEC of listing unauthorized candidates, including Azotani, despite having submitted a final list of candidates after their primaries.