A fresh crisis has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over its Edo South Senatorial ticket for the 2027 National Assembly election, with two aspirants laying claim to the party’s candidacy following discrepancies on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
The controversy stems from conflicting information published by INEC, where the name and personal details of one aspirant, Epelle-Asemota Bridgitte Osayuki, appeared alongside the photograph of another aspirant, Sunny Aguebor.
A visit to the INEC office at Ikpoba Hill in Benin City confirmed the discrepancy, which has sparked confusion among party members and supporters over the identity of the NDC’s authentic candidate for the Edo South Senatorial District.
The conflicting records have fueled uncertainty within the party, with both aspirants now being linked to the same senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the development, Sunny Aguebor insisted that he remains the duly nominated candidate of the NDC for the Edo South Senate race. He described the mismatch on the INEC portal as an anomaly, attributing it to either an administrative error or deliberate mischief during the upload of candidates’ information.
Aguebor maintained that the party’s position on its candidate had not changed, stressing that the appearance of another aspirant’s name and particulars alongside his photograph did not invalidate his nomination.
On her part, Epelle-Asemota Bridgitte Osayuki, whose name and credentials appear on the INEC portal, declined to comment extensively on the controversy.
She stated that both the NDC and INEC were already addressing the matter and expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved through the appropriate channels.
“I am not really disposed to making comments on it now because the party is handling it and INEC is handling it as well. I will leave it at that,” she said.
The development has heightened tension within the NDC in Edo State, with party supporters awaiting clarification from both the party leadership and INEC on the authentic candidate for the Edo South Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election.
