INEC denies ADC faction access-code claims as Atiku, Gombe dispute nomination portal uploads

ADC seeks Nafiu Gombe’s prosecution over forged INEC portal claim

The African Democratic Congress demands Nafiu Gombe’s prosecution after INEC debunked his false claims of uploading candidates for the 2027 elections. Read More: https://punchng.com/adc-seeks-nafiu-gombes-prosecution-over-forged-inec-portal-claim/

19 hours ago

ADC Seeks Nafiu Gombe’s Prosecution Over Forged INEC Portal Claim

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the investigation and prosecution of its factional leader, Nafiu Gombe (also referred to as Nafiu Bala), after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) described claims that he accessed its nomination portal as false and based on a forged document.    In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party welcomed INEC’s clarification and accused Gombe of attempting to mislead the Nigerian public.    The latest twist stems from the ongoing leadership crisis in the ADC, which has pitted the David Mark-led National Executive Committee against a rival faction led by Gombe. INEC has maintained that only the Mark-led leadership is recognised and authorised to access the restricted nomination portal.    “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) welcomes the prompt clarification by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which unequivocally confirmed that the document circulated by Mr. Nafiu Bala purporting to show that he had obtained the Commission’s access code and uploaded candidates on behalf of the ADC for the 2027 general election was forged, and that the claim itself was entirely false,” the statement read.    The ADC argued that the matter has gone beyond internal political disagreements and now involves a deliberate attempt to deceive the public. It described the false claim of gaining access to INEC’s restricted portal as a grave offence that should attract the attention of law enforcement agencies.    “As a responsible party, the ADC therefore calls on INEC to take all the necessary steps to ensure that Mr Nafiu Bala and anyone else involved in originating or promoting this falsehood are investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the party stated.    The development follows earlier reports that Atiku Abubakar’s Media Office had accused INEC of granting access to Gombe, a claim the electoral body firmly denied.   

20 hours ago

ADC crisis: Atiku camp, party leadership disagree over INEC portal access for Nafiu Gombe

 The Atiku Abubakar media office and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have offered conflicting accounts over whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) granted nomination portal access to Nafiu Gombe.   The disagreement followed claims by Gombe’s group that it uploaded the names of presidential and other candidates to INEC’s nomination portal.   On Monday, the Atiku media office alleged that INEC granted a nomination portal access code to Gombe despite recognising the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC.   The media office noted that Gombe’s claim that it uploaded candidates’ names could only have been possible if the commission had issued it an access code, and accused INEC of bias.     However, in a statement on Monday, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC national publicity secretary, said the claim was false.   Abdullahi said INEC issues nomination portal access only to the leadership it recognises and does not provide two access codes to 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,” the statement reads.   Abdullahi said INEC could not have granted nomination portal access to Gombe’s group.   “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,” he said.   “Otherwise, every impostor would simply upload names to the portal and proclaim themselves the authentic leadership of a political party. That is plainly not how the law or the Commission’s processes work.”   ADC SEEKS INEC PROBE The party asked INEC to investigate what it described as the unauthorised use of documents purportedly issued by the commission.   “We are also, by this statement, formally drawing the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to what appears to be the forgery and unauthorised use of documents purportedly emanating from the Commission in a manner capable of creating confusion and undermining public confidence in its integrity and reputation as Nigeria’s electoral umpire,” Abdullahi said.   “We trust that the Commission will investigate this matter and take the necessary steps to correct this blatant misrepresentation.”   The ADC noted that it is not factionalised and that the leadership recognised by INEC had already completed the nomination process.   “For the avoidance of doubt, the African Democratic Congress is not factionalised. INEC has issued nomination portal access only to the leadership it recognises, and that leadership has duly concluded the party’s nomination process in accordance with the Electoral Act and the Commission’s guidelines,” Abdullahi added.   “As we informed the public last week, the details of our Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON), and our Vice-Presidential Candidate, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi (CON), have been uploaded on the INEC portal. Those are the facts.”   The party urged its members, supporters and the public to disregard what it described as false reports and rely only on its authorised communications.    

1 day ago

INEC Denies Atiku’s Allegation of Granting ADC Faction Access to Nomination Portal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that it granted access codes to a rival faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Nafiu Gombe, enabling them to upload candidates’ names to its nomination portal.A senior INEC official, who spoke to PUNCH Online on condition of anonymity, clarified that the commission only recognises the National Executive Committee of the ADC led by Senator David Mark.“INEC did not give access codes to Nafiu Gombe as claimed by Atiku’s Media Office. The recognised leadership of ADC, according to our records, is that of the Senator David Mark-led leadership. If you go to our portal right now, Senator David Mark is the chairman of the ADC, while Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the Secretary,” the official said.Atiku’s camp had alleged on Monday that INEC was aiding efforts to weaken opposition parties by granting Gombe access to the portal, accusing the commission’s chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, of fuelling internal crises to advance President Bola Tinubu’s political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.The INEC official rejected the claims, stressing that Gombe lacked the legal standing to submit candidates’ names since he is not recognised as the party’s chairman. “It’s as good as saying that Nafiu Gombe cannot upload the names of candidates on the INEC portal because he is not the officially recognised chairman of the ADC,” the source added.The commission also dismissed allegations against Amupitan, describing them as baseless attempts to drag the electoral body into internal party disputes. “Amupitan did not go to court. Amupitan did not drag Nafiu Gombe to court and Amupitan did not drag the David Mark-led ADC to court; it’s a party crisis, so why are they trying to drag Amupitan into it?” the official stated.Meanwhile, the ADC, through its spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, also denied claims that Gombe or his faction uploaded candidates’ names, insisting that INEC recognises only the David Mark-led leadership. The party urged the commission to investigate alleged forgery and unauthorised use of documents purportedly issued by INEC.The leadership tussle within the ADC has intensified since the emergence of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, with rival factions challenging their authority as political alignments gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election.

1 day ago