NDC Summons Emergency NWC, As INEC Denies Claims of Unauthorised Candidates Substitution

The leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has called an emergency National Working Committee meeting today, with the controversy trailing the alleged unauthorized substitution its candidates expected to top the agenda.

This comes after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, denied substituting nominated NDC candidates for House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue states, saying such claims were unfounded and untrue.

INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, MOHAMMED KUDU HARUNA, who made the denial in a statement, said the Commission had no legal authority to select, insert, or substitute a candidate for any party, as that is the exclusive responsibility of political parties.

HARUNA maintained that INEC’s involvement in the monitoring of parties’ primaries is a statutory oversight function only, which does not confer on it the power to choose or impose a candidate.

He explained that the candidates’ nomination portal access codes were issued directly to each party's National Chairman, with two technically trained officers designated to handle the nomination processes of each of the twenty-two registered parties.

The INEC Commissioner further noted that the list of candidates generated for each party was based on submissions jointly made by the National Chairmen and National Secretaries of the parties.

He assured that the Commission remained committed to transparency, accountability and providing a level playing field for all stakeholders in the electoral process.

However, a high-ranking chieftain of the NDC who spoke with NTN in confidence, described INEC’s explanation on the matter as balderdash, adding that the matter may ultimately end up in court. He said INEC created a complex situation during the upload of candidates on the nomination portal, which allowed the upload of unauthorizes candidates for the party.