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The Nigeria Democratic Congress has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct an immediate electronic audit of its nomination portal after disowning 10 candidates listed under the party’s name for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections.

The party said the affected candidates were neither nominated through its internal process nor submitted by the NDC to INEC, including the required Form EC9E documents.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theophilus Agada, said the 10 names did not emerge from either the party’s nomination or appeal processes.

“The NDC uploaded only candidates who emerged from our appeal process, but the commission rejected the names approved by the party and subsequently published persons unknown to us,” Agada said.

The candidates include Umennaajiego Ezenwa for Onitsha South I; Akpotue Chibuike for Onitsha South II; Nwankwo Chiemerie for Orumba North; Maduagwu Eric K. for Anaocha I; Ngoebisi Obinna for Idemili North; and Isintume Charles for Njikoka I.

Others are Nwachukwu Nonso (Nnewi South I), Okeke Akunne (Nnewi South II), Nnonyelu Samson E. (Ayamelum) and Azotani Francis (Dunukofia).

The NDC questioned how INEC obtained the credentials of the listed individuals, maintaining that political parties are responsible for submitting the names and particulars of their candidates.

The dispute follows an earlier threat by the party to sue INEC over alleged substitution of its candidates in Anambra and other constituencies.

INEC has denied replacing candidates nominated by political parties. Its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission had no legal authority to nominate candidates for parties or substitute validly nominated candidates with its preferred choices.

INEC said it had begun examining its records following the NDC’s allegations.