Politics
2027 Election: INEC Speaks on Replacing NDC Candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied allegations that it replaced some candidates nominated by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) with unknown and unapproved names.
The Commission declared that it is the duty and responsibility of political parties to nominate candidates and upload them to the INEC portal.
Naija News reports that the clarification follows an allegation by the NDC that INEC uploaded and published unauthorised names in some constituencies in Anambra State.
According to the party in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, the names were not authorised or submitted to INEC, but were published as its candidates for some constituencies in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
However, reacting to the allegation, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, in a chat with Punch on Monday, stressed that INEC had no legal authority to nominate candidates for political parties or substitute its preferred candidates for those validly nominated by a political party in accordance with the law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, INEC does not nominate candidates for political parties. The nomination of candidates is the responsibility of political parties, subject to compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, Regulations and Guidelines,” he said.
According to him, the candidate nomination portal provided by the commission is the platform through which political parties submit the particulars of their candidates using access credentials issued for that purpose, and INEC does not get itself involved in nominating and submitting candidates.

He added that all activities carried out on the portal were electronically recorded and could be verified through the Commission’s records and audit trail.
“It is therefore possible to establish objectively the history and source of entries relating to any candidate whose name appears on the portal,” Oketola said.
He said the allegation that INEC officials introduced or “smuggled” candidates into the NDC’s list should therefore not be determined through speculation, noting that the electronic and documentary records would establish what transpired.
Oketola added that monitoring of a party primary by INEC officials did not amount to the Commission nominating a candidate for the party.
“Neither does a report made by officials who monitor a primary confer upon the Commission the power to choose a candidate for the political party,” he said.
On the NDC’s specific allegation that INEC officials went behind the party to obtain Form EC9 directly from individual aspirants or candidates and subsequently uploaded their particulars without the party’s authorisation, Oketola described the claim as particularly serious.
He said, however, that to verify the allegation, INEC would examine the relevant records in specific constituencies pointed out by the NDC.
“Rather than make categorical assertions on matters that can readily be established from those records, the Commission will examine the relevant records relating to the constituencies identified by the NDC,” he said.
He also urged the NDC to provide the Commission with evidence and details of any officials allegedly involved in unauthorised interference with its candidate nomination process, promising that such claims would be investigated in accordance with established procedures.
The commission, he stressed, had no institutional interest in the choice of candidates fielded by any political party.
“Its responsibility is to administer the electoral process impartially and in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable Regulations and Guidelines,” he said.
Oketola also reminded political parties of their responsibility to ensure that their nomination processes, internal appeals, submission of candidates and use of the Commission’s candidate nomination portal complied with the law and prescribed timelines.
He assured stakeholders that INEC would continue to handle the candidate nomination process transparently and impartially, adding that legitimate concerns would be addressed on the basis of the Commission’s records and applicable law.
Politics
2027: ‘False Battle’ – APC Breaks Silence On Rift Between Wike, Governors
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports of a disagreement between its governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, insisting that both sides remain committed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described the reported disagreement as a ‘false battle’.
He maintained that there was no genuine conflict between the minister and members of the Progressives Governors Forum.
Morka clarified this on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s News Day, following Wike’s inclusion in the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
According to him, the governors and the FCT Minister share a common political objective of ensuring Tinubu’s victory in the next presidential election.
“It was a false battle to begin with. I mean, I don’t think there was any real tension between those positions because they united in their extraordinary commitment to the re-election of the president,” Morka said.
He noted that the Progressive Governors Forum comprised governors elected on the APC platform, while Wike, a former Rivers State governor, was a member of Tinubu’s cabinet and a vocal supporter of the President.

According to him, publication of the presidential campaign council list had also clarified the roles of those involved in Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
He said: “Governors, who are not of the APC, now [are] front and centre, coordinating some of our activities in their respective jurisdictions.”
Morka described the development as a new phase in Nigeria’s democratic politics, arguing that the President was bringing politicians from different parties together around a common objective.
The APC spokesperson claimed that the collaboration was unusual in a presidential system, stressing that Tinubu was transcending party differences by building a coalition of political actors to support his administration and re-election campaign.
He said: “We’re seeing a president who is transcending all of the divides and really nullifying what I call the politics of difference between these partisans and bringing them together under the same umbrella to pursue a common agenda for the good of the people.”
Politics
Gunmen Kill NDC Member During Attack On Enugu Campaign Office
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Enugu State has confirmed the death of one of its members, Nworie Christopher, who was reportedly shot during an attack on the party’s campaign office in the Government Reserved Area of Enugu.
Daily Voice understands that Christopher, who hailed from Affa in Udi Local Government Area of the state, died from gunshot injuries sustained during the October 10, 2026, incident.
The party disclosed that the deceased was among its supporters allegedly attacked by armed thugs during a gathering at the campaign office of its governorship candidate, Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa.
According to the NDC, efforts by its leadership to save Christopher’s life were unsuccessful.
The party condemned the killing and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
Ohaa, on Tuesday, October 13, led a delegation to the bereaved family to commiserate with them.
The delegation included Chief Frank Omeje (Deputy Governorship Candidate), Engr. Ibuchukwu Obeta (State Chairman), Hon. Emmanuel Chukwujekwu Nebo (State Secretary), Prof. Uche Akubue, Hon. Emeke Okeke, and the State Women Leader.

In a statement by his media aide, Hon. Sampson Ukwu, he condemned the killing and described it as part of a dangerous escalation of political violence against the opposition in the state.
Ohaa said: “No election is worth a single drop of a citizen’s blood. Nworie Christopher went out to support a vision for a better Enugu. Today he is gone. His twin brother is left with an empty half of his world. His family is shattered.
“His mother is completely heartbroken. We will not be silenced by violence. We will not be intimidated. The blood of Nworie Christopher and all our injured members cries out for justice.”
The NDC described the attack as the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting its members, including an armed attack on a ward meeting at Obuoffia in Nkanu West on September 12, 2026, where eight members reportedly sustained gunshot injuries, as well as the tear-gassing, shooting, and brutalization of its supporters at the airport.
“This is no longer ordinary politics. It is a dangerous escalation that threatens the right of citizens to participate peacefully in the democratic process. A government that presides over repeated attacks on opposition gatherings while failing to deliver swift justice has a responsibility to explain to Ndi Enugu why the lives of opposition members appear less protected,” the party said.
The NDC called on the Inspector-General of Police and all relevant security agencies to conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the October 10 attack and the earlier Obuoffia incident.
“All those who planned, sponsored, or carried out these attacks must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted without fear or favour,” the party demanded.
Politics
JUST IN: Makinde Appoints New Chief of Staff After Ogunwuyi’s Resignation

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has appointed Bashorun Akinwale Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his new Chief of Staff, following the resignation of Segun Ogunwuyi.
Makinde also appointed Mrs Aderonke Adedayo, his Special Adviser on General Intervention and Donor Agencies, as Director-General of the Due Process Office.
The appointments were announced in letters signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde, on Monday.
Akinwole, a grassroots politician, previously served as Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission.
Adedayo will combine her new responsibilities as Director-General of the Due Process Office with her existing role as Special Adviser on General Intervention and Donor Agencies.
Both appointments take immediate effect.

The governor congratulated the appointees and urged them to discharge their duties with loyalty, commitment and dedication to the service of Oyo State.
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