ADC INEC portal claim dismissed as the party denies reports that the Bala faction uploaded a presidential candidate to the electoral body’s system
The African Democratic Congress has dismissed claims that the Nafiu Bala Gombe faction uploaded the name of a presidential candidate and other nominees to the nomination portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, describing the report as a “blatant lie.”
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In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC INEC portal claim was inconsistent with the electoral commission’s nomination process, insisting that only a leadership recognised by INEC can access the portal.
According to Abdullahi, INEC does not issue nomination portal access or candidate nomination codes to individuals or groups it does not officially recognise.
He also argued that the commission cannot issue duplicate nomination codes for the same political party.
“The African Democratic Congress, ADC, wishes to draw the attention of the media and the general public to false reports claiming that a group led by Mr Nafiu Bala Gombe has uploaded the names of a presidential candidate and other nominees to the INEC nomination portal. The claim is a blatant lie,” Abdullahi said.
He added, “INEC does not issue nomination portal access or nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognise. Secondly, the Commission will not issue two codes to the same party.”
Abdullahi challenged the Bala-led group to produce evidence supporting its claim, arguing that any genuine upload to the commission’s portal would require official authorisation.
“The question, therefore, is straightforward: where is the evidence of this purported upload by a group of individuals not known by law or the electoral body?” he asked.
The party also said it had formally drawn INEC’s attention to what it described as the possible forgery and unauthorised use of documents purportedly issued by the electoral commission.
According to the ADC, such actions could create confusion among the public and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
The statement comes amid an ongoing leadership dispute within the party, with rival factions laying claim to the ADC’s structure ahead of preparations for the 2027 general election.
Internal disagreements over party leadership and control have increasingly become a feature of Nigeria’s political landscape as parties position themselves for the next electoral cycle.
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As of Monday, INEC had not publicly responded to the allegations raised by the ADC or the claims attributed to the Nafiu Bala Gombe faction.
