NDC Demands INEC Explain Source of EC9E Forms for 10 Anambra Candidates

NDC Demands INEC Explain Source of EC9E Forms for 10 Anambra Candidates
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain how it obtained the EC9E nomination forms of 10 candidates whose names were published by the Commission for the forthcoming Anambra State elections, insisting that the party did not submit the forms.
In a press statement dated August 30, 2026, and signed by Agada Abu Theophilus, ANIPR, Director of New Media and Strategic Communications of the NDC, the party alleged that it neither collected nor submitted completed EC9E forms for the 10 candidates published by INEC.
The NDC said the development raises serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process, particularly because, according to the party, the normal procedure requires political parties to submit candidates’ credentials and nomination documents before INEC processes and approves them.
The party explained that it had submitted the names of 10 candidates emerging from its appeal process through the INEC portal. However, it alleged that the Commission rejected those candidates.
According to the NDC, it subsequently neither collected nor submitted the completed EC9E forms for the 10 Anambra candidates published by INEC.
“Since the NDC neither collected nor submitted the completed EC9E forms of the 10 Anambra candidates published by INEC, how did the Commission obtain their credentials when it is the party’s legal duty to submit the names of its approved candidates?” the party questioned.
The opposition party described the situation as a matter requiring urgent clarification, arguing that the source and pathway through which the disputed candidate information entered the INEC system should be established.
The NDC therefore called on INEC to conduct what it described as an electronic audit trail of its candidate-management portal to determine how the 10 candidates allegedly appeared on the Commission’s platform.
The party said such an audit should establish who uploaded, accessed, altered or approved the relevant information and when the entries were made.
The controversy comes amid heightened political activity and growing concerns among political parties over the integrity, transparency and security of INEC’s electronic nomination and candidate-submission processes ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.
The NDC maintained that INEC owes political parties and the Nigerian public a clear explanation of the circumstances surrounding the disputed forms.
The party’s demand is, in essence, for the Commission to provide a verifiable digital record showing the origin of the 10 candidates’ EC9E forms and how they came to be associated with the NDC’s Anambra candidates despite the party’s claim that it did not submit them.
The NDC’s position now puts the ball firmly in INEC’s court: explain the source of the forms and provide the electronic audit trail.