African Democratic Congress, ADC, Enugu State chapter, has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, lacks the power to stop its candidates from participating in the 2027 general elections.
ADC said this on Friday in a statement made available to DAILY POST where it accused the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Enugu State, Chukwuemeka Chukwu of doing everything to stop its House of Assembly candidates from participating in the election.
The statement was signed by Paul Anigbogu on behalf of the Enugu ADC media team.
Anigbogu said Chief Ocho Obodoeze remained intact as the ADC guber candidate in the state, adding that all House of Assembly candidates have also been duly uploaded on INEC portal.
“INEC has no power whatsoever to stop any party from uploading the name of its candidates into the portal, as long as the party fulfilled all the legal requirements for nominating candidates,” Anigbogu said, while making reference to the Court of Appeal Abuja judgment on August 13, 2026, which nullified the power of INEC to stop a validly nominated candidate of a political party from participating in an election.
“Besides upholding the nomination of Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola by the Kabiru Taminu Turaki-led faction of the PDP as the legitimate PDP governorship candidate for Osun State, the appellate court ordered INEC to immediately place the PDP logo on the ballot ahead of the election.
“The Appeal Court panel held that because the PDP conducted primaries monitored by INEC and submitted the winner’s name, administrative issues like portal access code could not stop the candidate from participating,” ADC said.
It maintained that the Electoral Act only empowered INEC to observe and not to stop duly nominated candidates from participating in the election.
“We conducted our primaries for the nomination of candidates. INEC accepted our governorship candidate and all the candidates for House of Assembly elections.
“Their names were duly uploaded into the portal. Whatever the Resident Electoral Commissioner and his agents are saying is a blatant lie. It is a fallacy.
“They know that ADC is the party to beat in Enugu State and their agenda is to distract us.
“However, we remain focused in our bid to rescue Enugu State from the maladministration of the present-day government,” the party stated.
2027: Enugu ADC slams INEC, clarifies position on governorship, House of Assembly candidates