NDC alleges INEC replaced its 2027 election candidates with names unknown to party

Nigeria’s opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) accuses the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of removing some of its nominated candidates for the 2027 general elections and replacing them with names the party says are unknown to it. The party raises the allegation after INEC publishes a list of candidates for state house of assembly elections.

NDC leaders say the changes appear on the commission’s candidate list and that the party did not authorize the substitutions. The claims are presented as a systematic issue, with the party calling on INEC to explain or address the discrepancies. INEC’s position or any response to the accusation is not included in the provided reports.

Across the two outlets, the core allegation is the same: the NDC says names on INEC’s published list do not match the party’s nominated candidates, and it describes the replacements as “strange names.” Both reports frame the dispute as emerging ahead of the 2027 elections and linked specifically to INEC’s state assembly candidate list.