The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has denied claims that a faction led by Nafiu Bala uploaded the names of a presidential candidate and other nominees to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal.
In a statement issued by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the reports as a blatant lie, noting that they are easy to verify as false.
The ADC explained that INEC does not issue nomination portal access or nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognise, arguing that the Commission would not issue two codes to the same political party.
“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.
“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?” the party asked.
Abdullahi also urged INEC to look into what the party described as 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.
He expressed confidence that the Commission would investigate the matter and take the necessary steps to correct what he described as a blatant misrepresentation.
“Even as ridiculous as this claim appears, it is nothing more than another scheme to create doubts and confusion in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public,” he said.
Abdullahi stated that the ADC is not factionalised, emphasising that INEC has issued nomination portal access only to the leadership it recognises and that the leadership has duly concluded the party’s nomination process in accordance with the Electoral Act and the Commission’s guidelines.
The party recalled that it informed the public last week that the details of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and its vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, had been uploaded to the INEC portal.
“Those are the facts,” the ADC noted, maintaining that as the election approaches, there will be repeated attempts to distract the party and mislead the public.
The ADC said that it would not be distracted, reiterating its commitment to presenting Nigerians with a credible alternative that can restore security, tackle the rising cost of living, revive the economy, create jobs, and return the country to the path of progress in 2027.
It urged its members, supporters, the media, and the general public to ignore the “agents of distraction” and rely only on official communications issued by the party through its authorised channels.
