The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the authorities to investigate and prosecute its factional leader, Nafiu Gombe, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissed claims that he had uploaded the party’s candidates for the 2027 general elections through its nomination portal.
The call was made in a statement released on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi. The statement followed INEC’s clarification that it neither issued nomination portal access codes to Bala nor recognised any leadership other than the National Executive Committee headed by David Mark.
The recent development marks another chapter in the long-running leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has seen the faction led by David Mark clash with a rival group headed by Bala.
The internal dispute has resulted in several legal battles, protests, and continued disagreements over which faction represents the party’s authentic leadership as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
Following INEC’s clarification, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) expressed support for the commission’s statement and accused Nafiu Bala of trying to mislead the Nigerian public. The party stated that the matter had moved beyond ordinary political disputes and had become a serious allegation involving an attempt to spread false information.
In its reaction, the ADC welcomed INEC’s confirmation that the document shared by Mr. Nafiu Bala, which allegedly showed that he had obtained the commission’s access code and uploaded candidates for the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections, was fake. The party maintained that the claims made by Bala were completely untrue.
The ADC stated that the matter had gone beyond what it described as a series of false claims allegedly made by Nafiu Bala Gombe and those supporting him, saying it now involved what it considered a deliberate effort to mislead Nigerians.
The party emphasized that falsely claiming to have gained access to INEC’s restricted nomination portal was a serious matter that warranted the attention of security authorities. It therefore called on the electoral body to ensure that all individuals linked to the alleged false claim are thoroughly investigated and, where necessary, prosecuted.
The ADC described the alleged public claim of gaining access to INEC’s restricted nomination platform and performing duties reserved for officially recognised party representatives as a serious issue that requires urgent attention from law enforcement authorities.
The party said that, as a responsible political organisation, it was urging INEC to take appropriate measures to ensure that Mr. Nafiu Bala and any other individuals involved in creating or spreading the alleged false information are investigated and prosecuted in line with the law.
It had previously been reported that Atiku Abubakar’s Media Office alleged that INEC allowed Bala access to the commission’s nomination portal, a claim the electoral umpire later rejected.
However, during an exclusive interview on Monday, a senior INEC official clarified that the commission did not provide Bala with any access code. The official emphasised that INEC only recognises the leadership headed by David Mark and that only this faction is authorised to use the nomination portal.
