The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) has denied alleged amending electoral document to accommodate Senators Ahmed Lawan and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.

The Commission made the denial in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement read; “Not for the first time, our attention has been drawn to a story published by an online medium that the Commission has doctored, backdated and certified documents to accommodate the nominations emanating from Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts in respect of Senators Ahmad Lawan and Godswill Akpabio.

“Nothing can be further from the truth. As evidence of the alleged role played by the commission, a certified true copy of form 9C uploaded by their political party and received by the commission on 17th June 2022 when the nomination portal closed was presented.

“For clarity, the form EC9 (submission of names of candidates by political parties) is the form uploaded by parties on the INEC nomination portal.

“This is clearly indicated on the title of the form which was received on 17th June 2022 when the portal closed. What follows is the publication of the personal particulars of nominated candidates which was done a week later.

“The forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the commission. The decision of the commission triggered legal action which is still ongoing.

“It therefore defies logic and common sense to go around and submit doctored documents purportedly recognising the duo as candidates when the matter is clearly sub-judice.

Okoye added that “as part of the ongoing case in Court, a law firm requested for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Form EC9 submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District which INEC was duty bound to oblige them under the law.”