The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that it replaced the names of the party’s validly nominated candidates with unauthorised names ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC, in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), described the allegation as “unfounded”.The commission stressed that political parties, rather than INEC, are responsible for nominating and submitting their candidates for elections.
“Candidate nomination is, by law, the exclusive responsibility of political parties. INEC has no legal authority to select, insert, or substitute a candidate for any party,” the statement said.
The commission explained that its role in monitoring party primaries was limited to statutory oversight and did not extend to choosing candidates for political parties.
According to INEC, all 22 registered political parties participating in the 2027 electoral process designated two technically trained officers to manage their candidate nomination processes following training organised by the commission.
