The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is currently embroiled in an internal struggle that has taken a serious turn toward legal action. At the heart of the controversy is Nafiu Bala, a factional leader claiming to hold the position of National Chairman. Recently, Bala made headlines by asserting that his faction had successfully bypassed internal party channels to access the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal. He claimed to have used this access to upload a list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, effectively trying to assert authority over the party’s electoral future.
However, Bolaji Abdullahi, the official National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, has moved quickly to label these claims as completely fabricated. According to Abdullahi, the narrative being peddled by Bala isn’t just a political disagreement; it is a deliberate attempt to deceive the Nigerian public and compromise the integrity of the electoral process. By issuing a formal statement, the ADC has made it clear that they are no longer willing to treat these provocations as mere political rhetoric. They are instead framing the situation as a dangerous infringement on the legal standing of the party and a fraudulent attempt to manipulate public perception regarding the 2027 polls.
The response from INEC has been swift and firm, providing the necessary clarity to diffuse the brewing confusion. Victoria Eta-Messi, acting as the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, explicitly stated that the documents circulated by Bala are not authentic. More importantly, she confirmed that the Commission does not recognize Nafiu Bala as the National Chairman of the ADC. By dismissing the legitimacy of his claims, INEC has effectively invalidated Bala’s assertions, reinforcing the party’s official stance that his actions were nothing more than a calculated performance intended to create chaos within the party’s ranks.
The ADC leadership is now calling for a much higher level of accountability, moving beyond simple denials. Bolaji Abdullahi has emphasized that falsely claiming access to a secure, government-restricted portal is not a trivial matter. He argues that by suggesting he had the power to upload candidates for a national election, Bala has crossed a legal boundary. The party contends that this is an attempt to impersonate legitimate party officials and interfere with the commission’s sovereign responsibilities, which should be treated as a grave offense by Nigerian law enforcement agencies.
In their formal demand, the ADC is urging INEC to go beyond mere clarifications. They are pressuring the commission to facilitate a full-scale investigation into how, why, and under whose guidance these false claims were originated and propagated. The party believes that if individuals are allowed to lie publicly about accessing sensitive electoral infrastructure—especially in the volatile lead-up to a general election—it erodes public trust in the entire democratic system. For the ADC, prosecuting those involved is not just about settling an internal party dispute; it is about protecting the sanctity of Nigeria’s electoral portal from bad actors.
Ultimately, this situation highlights the ongoing challenges of platform security and political impersonation. The ADC’s firm stance serves as a warning to anyone attempting to leverage disinformation for political gain. By distancing itself entirely from Bala’s actions and bringing the scrutiny of the law into play, the party is attempting to protect its reputation and ensure that the 2027 nomination process remains untainted by fraud. As the party continues to push for transparency, their demand remains simple: let the law decide the fate of those who seek to manipulate the democratic process through deceit and forgery.