NIGERIAN VOTERS ORGANISATION (NVO)
INEC’s De-listing of several opposition party candidates from the Final Electoral List illegal
The attention of the Nigerian Voters Organisation,NVO has been drawn to the illegal decision of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC to de-list the names of several opposition party candidates from the Final list of candidates to participate in the next year’s general election without giving any reason whatsoever while at the same time leaving the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC’s nominated candidates untouched.
ThIs is not only suspicious but also an official electoral rigging by INEC against the opposition party candidates even before the first vote is cast.
NVO hereby challenges INEC to state the reasons for the de-listing of the opposition party candidates from its Final Candidates list for Nigerians to judge its impartiality in the ongoing electoral process.
NVO condemns this wanton discriminatory de-listing practice and grave violation of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act ,2026 by INEC and calls on the electoral commission to rescind its decision by restoring all the opposition party candidates names on the Final Electoral list to avoid disenfranchisement of the Nigerian voters.
The rght to freely choose whom to vote for is a constitutional right and all hands must be on the deck by all electoral stakeholders to protect this voter’s right to choose in a multi-party democracy as practised in Nigeria.
NVO states unequivocally that under the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act,2026, INEC has no power or function to disqualify any candidate duly nominated by a political party and therefore the commission lacks power to remove or de-list the name of any candidate duly nominated by a political party from the Final lIst as it did.
NVO wishes to state categorically for the upteempth time that INEC’s role is only supervisory and constitutionally empowered to function as an unbIased electoral umpire and has no power to review or interprete any court judgment for administrative purpose of de-listing the names of duly nominated opposition party candidates from the official Final list of candidates under the law.
NVO states that only a court of law in Nigeria, not INEC under any guise is permitted under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution to review or interprete any judgment including the Supreme court judgment while giving the parties concerned the golden opportunity to be heard before a decision is finally reached one way or the other.
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NVO hereby warns INEC to rescind this illegal de-listing of opposition party candidates within 7 Days or face legal action to enforce compliance.
Dated This 12th October,2026
Barr.Dr.Jezie Ekejiuba
Human Rights Lawyer &
President,NVO
Email:[email protected]
WhatsApp/Tel.08036095750
For Immediate Release
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