By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Nigeria Democratic Congress has denied reports that the name of its Rivers State deputy governorship candidate, Dr Mike Barieenee Nwielaghi, was missing from the Independent National Electoral Commission portal.
The party, in a statement issued by its Rivers State Media Directorate in Port Harcourt on Thursday, described the reports as false and misleading.
According to the party, Nwielaghi’s details were duly submitted through the appropriate process and successfully uploaded by INEC.
“We state unequivocally that this narrative is false and misleading. The name of our deputy governorship candidate was successfully uploaded by INEC,” the statement said.
The NDC urged its supporters, journalists and members of the public to disregard reports suggesting that Nwielaghi’s name was absent from the commission’s records.
It also called for caution in the circulation of electoral information, particularly on social media, stressing the need for political claims to be based on verified facts.
“Dr Mike Nwielaghi remains the duly presented and recognised Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Rivers State,” the party added.
The clarification comes as the NDC is separately engaged in a dispute with INEC over the publication of candidates for the 2027 Anambra State House of Assembly elections.
The party had alleged that INEC published 10 names it said were not among the candidates submitted and approved by the NDC.
The disputed names reportedly cut across constituencies including Onitsha South I and II, Orumba North, Anaocha I, Idemili North, Njikoka I, Nnewi South, Nnewi South II, Ayamelum and Dunukofia.
The NDC’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Agada Theophilus, alleged that the party did not submit the EC9E forms of the 10 individuals whose names appeared on the commission’s portal.
He consequently demanded an electronic audit of INEC’s candidate-management system to establish how the disputed names and credentials allegedly entered the commission’s database.
INEC, however, rejected the allegation, maintaining that the commission does not nominate candidates for political parties.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said candidate nomination remained the responsibility of political parties, subject to the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.
Despite INEC’s position, the NDC has continued to demand an explanation over the disputed Anambra candidates and called for an audit trail of the commission’s electronic system.
The party said such an examination would help establish when, how and by whom the disputed names were allegedly uploaded.
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