INEC Denies Swapping NDC Candidates, Launches Records Audit

The Independent National Electoral Commission has flatly rejected accusations from the Nigeria Democratic Congress that it removed or substituted the opposition party's State House of Assembly candidates in Anambra and Benue States. In a statement issued by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, head of INEC's Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission described the NDC's allegations as without merit.

The NDC had claimed that candidates it formally nominated were mysteriously replaced on electoral records by individuals the party said it never authorized or vetted. INEC's response emphasized that the responsibility for nominating candidates lies entirely with political parties, not the electoral body.

The commission stated that its involvement was limited to training party officers who handle the nomination process and managing the portal through which nominations are submitted. However, INEC has initiated an internal review of both its electronic records and physical documentation to investigate how unauthorized names allegedly appeared on the NDC's candidate list for the 2027 general elections.

The audit was triggered directly by the NDC's allegations and appears focused on establishing the chain of events that led to the disputed candidate substitutions, particularly in constituencies across Anambra State. The commission emphasized that any suggestion it independently uploaded or altered candidate information on its systems is false.

The controversy underscores persistent tensions between Nigeria's electoral body and political parties over control of nomination procedures ahead of the 2027 elections. The outcome of INEC's ongoing record review is expected to determine whether the substitutions resulted from party-side errors, unauthorized individual actions, or other factors entirely.