The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of systematically removing its nominated candidates for the 2027 general elections, and replacing same with strange names unknown to the party.
Reacting to the list of candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections published on Sunday by INEC, the NDC National Chairman, Sen Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, said the names published by INEC reads like a deliberate plot to sabotage the party ahead of the general elections and cause dissatisfaction among its millions of supporters.
The NDC Chairman’s statement continued: “We call on the INEC Chairman to urgently and immediately cause an investigation into the matter and unravel how this came to be.”
“The party said the investigation should also be extended to other constituencies nationwide, where the NDC had observed a pattern of fencing out authentic candidates of the party for INEC-chosen imposters.
According to the NDC Chairman, the names smuggled into the NDC list of candidates include, but not limited to the following:
ANAMBRA (SHOA)
1. Onitsha South 1 – Umennaajiego Jude Ezenwa
2. Onitsha South 2 – Akpotue Obinna Chibuike
3. Orumba North – Nwankwo Chiemerie
4. Anaocha 1 – Maduagwu Eric K
5. Idemili North – Ngoebisi Obinna
6. Njikoka 1 – Isintume Charles
7. Nnewi South – Nwachukwu Nonso
8. Nnewi South 2 – Okeke Ifeanyi Akunne
9. Ayamelum – Nnonyelu Samson E.
10. Dunukofia – Azotani Chuks Francis
The NDC Chairman stated: “I, as Chairman of the Party and custodian of the code given to the NDC for the upload of our candidates, never uploaded those names, and I unequivocally state that the party did not also upload those nine names.
According to him, the worst INEC can do in a situation whereby the names submitted by the party do not tally with those INEC claimed to have received from its monitoring teams on the field is to leave the space blank, not to preload fictitious names and prevent the party from loading its genuine candidates.
Sen. Cleopas frowned at the emerging pattern whereby INEC deliberately prevents parties from uploading their rightful candidates, while criminally handpicking candidates for the parties and instigating a crisis of confidence and internal disharmony within the said parties. He noted that this has been particularly so for the opposition parties.
The NDC Chairman vowed that the party will pursue the matter to the very end, and ensure that the right thing is done and the mischief is reversed.
