The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it does not nominate candidates for political parties, following allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that some candidates purportedly nominated by the party for the 2027 general elections were removed and replaced with names allegedly unknown to it.
In a chat with LEADERSHIP on Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission had no legal authority to nominate candidates for political parties or substitute its preferred candidate for one validly nominated by a party in accordance with the law.
The clarification followed the NDC’s allegations, particularly concerning some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra State.
Oketola explained that the responsibility for nominating candidates rested with political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.
He said the candidate nomination portal provided by INEC was the platform through which political parties submitted the particulars of their candidates using access credentials issued for that purpose.
According to him, activities carried out through the portal were electronically recorded and could be verified through the commission’s records and audit trail.
He said it was therefore possible to establish the history and source of entries relating to any candidate whose name appeared on the portal.
Oketola said the allegation that INEC officials introduced or “smuggled” candidates into the NDC’s list should not be determined through speculation, stressing that the electronic and documentary records were capable of establishing the facts.
He also clarified the distinction between INEC’s responsibility to monitor political party primaries and the responsibility of political parties to nominate and submit their candidates.
According to him, the commission’s monitoring of a political party primary did not amount to the nomination of a candidate by INEC.
