Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has formally disowned 10 candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections, insisting that it neither nominated the individuals nor submitted their Form EC9E documents.
The party has demanded an immediate electronic audit of INEC’s nomination portal to figure out how the credentials and names of these candidates were entered into the commission’s system.
The NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theophilus Agada, disclosed the party’s stance in an official statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
“The 10 names published by INEC neither emerged from the party’s nomination process nor its appeal process,” Agada stated. “The NDC uploaded only candidates who emerged from our appeal process, but the commission rejected the names approved by the party and subsequently published persons unknown to us.”
The 10 disowned candidates published on INEC’s list are:
Umennaajiego Ezenwa (Onitsha South 1)
Akpotue Chibuike (Onitsha South II)
Nwankwo Chiemerie (Orumba North)
Maduagwu Eric K. (Anaocha I)
Ngoebisi Obinna (Idemili North)
Isintume Charles (Njikoka I)
Nwachukwu Nonso (Nnewi South I)
Okeke Akunne (Nnewi South II)
Nnonyelu Samson E. (Ayamelum)
Azotani Francis (Dunukofia)
The opposition party maintained that the candidate nomination framework is clearly legally defined, making political parties solely responsible for uploading the names and particulars of their candidates before the electoral body processes and publishes them.
“It is the party’s legal responsibility to submit the names and credentials of its nominated candidates,” the statement emphasized. “The NDC did not collect or forward completed EC9E forms for the 10 persons whose names later appeared on INEC’s published list.”
Agada subsequently questioned the origin of the documents in INEC’s possession, asking: “How did the commission obtain their credentials when it is the party’s legal duty to submit the names of its approved candidates?”
On Monday, August 31, 2026, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, told journalists that the commission does not possess the legal authority to nominate candidates for political parties or substitute validly nominated flagbearers with its own preferred choices.