The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed candidate lists circulating on social media for upcoming elections in Imo, Abia, Anambra and other affected states, describing them as fake, unauthorized and not issued by the party’s national leadership. The party said the lists currently being shared online do not represent its official candidates and urged members, supporters and the general public to ignore the documents while investigations continue into their origin.
In a statement issued by the National Secretary of the party, Barrister Ikenna Enekweizu, the NDC said the circulating documents were not produced or approved by its national headquarters.
The party stressed that authentic candidates have already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through the procedures prescribed by the Electoral Act. According to the statement, the NDC remains committed to ensuring transparency in its electoral processes and will not allow unauthorized publications to create confusion among members.
“The general public, especially members of the NDC in Imo, Abia, Anambra and other affected states, are hereby urged to disregard the lists of candidates widely circulating on social media as the authentic lists of our party’s candidates from the aforementioned states. The said lists are fake and did not emanate from the party headquarters,” the statement said.
The party maintained that the official NDC candidate lists had already been forwarded to INEC through approved channels in line with electoral regulations.
It noted that only candidates submitted through the legally recognized process should be regarded as valid representatives of the party for the elections. The leadership emphasized that it has not publicly released details of the candidates submitted to the electoral commission and warned against relying on unofficial sources for information relating to party nominations.
“Our party has since submitted the lists of authentic candidates that will fly our party’s flag to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, using the appropriate channel as approved by the Electoral Act,” Enekweizu stated.
The NDC said it had launched efforts to trace the source of the documents circulating online, describing them as deliberate attempts to mislead party members and generate unnecessary distractions.
According to the party, individuals behind the publication of the false NDC candidate lists may be seeking to create confusion within its ranks and undermine preparations for forthcoming elections. The party further described the circulation of the lists as an act of mischief aimed at damaging internal cohesion and creating distrust among stakeholders.
Reassuring members across the affected states, the NDC said it remains focused on strengthening its structures and advancing its political objectives despite the controversy.
The party added that it would continue to work toward building a credible political platform capable of addressing Nigeria’s challenges and providing alternative leadership. It urged members to remain united, avoid speculation and rely only on official communications from the party regarding candidate nominations and electoral activities.
The NDC said the circulation of the fake NDC candidate lists would not derail its commitment to democratic participation and its broader vision of contributing to national development through responsible political engagement.
