There is confusion in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over the submission of the party’s list of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Nation learnt that the Abia State chapter of the party reportedly submitted a list of candidates for governorship, National Assembly, and House of Assembly primary elections without recourse to the party’s national headquarters.

The Chairman of the Primary Election Committee in Abia State, Chief Asukewe Ikoawaji, allegedly submitted the list without the prior knowledge of the national leadership.

The action is said to have contradicted INEC’s laid-down principle which stipulates that it is the responsibility of the National Chairman and the National Secretary to communicate and submit the names of nominated candidates to the electoral umpire.

It was also learnt that Chief Ikoawaji, who chaired the NDC Primary Election Committee in Abia State, wrote directly to the INEC Chairman through the Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) on May 30, forwarding what he called the outcome of the party’s primary elections conducted on May 29.

In the letter, titled: The Outcome of the NDC Primary Election in Abia State, Ikoawaji stated that election results from all local government areas and constituencies in the state had been collated and finalised at the party’s headquarters located at Number 2 Nsukka Street, Umuahia.

He claimed that the collation was witnessed by an INEC official identified simply as Mrs. Chioma, alongside security personnel, members of the election committee and party officials.

“I hereby forward the election result of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Primary Election held on May 29, 2026 in all the local government areas and constituencies in Abia State and the final collation result at the party headquarters, Number 2, Nsukka Street, Umuahia,” the letter stated.

The committee chairman also informed INEC that the results had been transmitted to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja in accordance with the party’s constitution. Attached to the correspondence were copies of the notification of election committee members, election guidelines and the results, which he said were submitted for the commission’s necessary action.

In a separate letter addressed to the Abia State REC of the INEC, Ikoawaji sought to correct what he called some errors in an earlier list of members of the governorship, National Assembly, and House of Assembly Electoral Committee previously forwarded to the commission.

In the correspondence, he also presented himself as the sole electoral and returning officer for the primary elections conducted across the state’s 17 local government areas on May 29, 2026. The letter stated that the revised submission superseded all previous lists sent to INEC regarding the conduct of the primaries in the state.

The development has generated fears of legal and procedural disputes within the party, particularly if the lists differ from those eventually submitted by the party’s national leadership. (The Nation)