- Safiu Kehinde
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked the allegation made against it by the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) while making clarification over the party’s claim.
NPO Reported that the NDC had accused the commission of removing the party’s validly nominated candidates for certain State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue States and replaced them with unauthorised names.
Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), the commission held that the allegations are unfounded, stressing that candidate nomination is, by law, the exclusive responsibility of political parties.
Mahmood maintained that INEC has no legal authority to select, insert, or substitute a candidate for any party as he explained how the names of the candidates were uploaded.
‘Monitoring a party’s primary is a statutory oversight function only and confers no power on INEC to choose or impose a candidate.
‘Ahead of the 2027 election, all 22 registered parties designated two technically trained officers to handle their nomination process, following training organised by the Commission.
‘Thereafter, the portal access codes were issued directly and in person to each party’s National Chairman, and not by proxy.
‘List of candidates were generated for each party as submitted by the party jointly signed by the National Chairmen and National Secretaries of the party, making the submission in Form EC9 series (A-G).’ The INEC official said.
Mahmood reiterated that any claim that the commission independently uploaded or altered candidate information is unfounded and untrue.
He said INEC still has in its possession the Form EC9E which contained the names of the candidates as submitted to the commission and signed by the NDC’s National Chairman and National Secretary.
‘As a matter of fact, the Commission has in its possession, Form EC9E where these candidates were listed and submitted to the Commission duly signed by the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the party.
‘The Commission remains committed to transparency, accountability and providing a level playing field for all stakeholders in the electoral process.’ Mahmood added.