ADC demands probe, prosecution of Nafiu Bala over false INEC portal access claim

By Lateef Ibrahim

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate and prosecute its factional National Chairman, Nafiu Bala, over his claim that he gained access to the Commission’s candidate nomination portal and uploaded the party’s candidates for the 2027 general election.

The demand followed INEC’s denial of Bala’s assertion, with the electoral body stating that it does not recognize him as the ADC’s national chairman and dismissing the alleged portal access as false.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said the matter had gone beyond political disagreements, describing the claim as a deliberate attempt to deceive the public and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

According to Abdullahi, anyone who falsely claims to have accessed INEC’s restricted nomination platform and exercised powers reserved for recognized party officials should be subjected to investigation and prosecution.

He urged the electoral commission to work with relevant law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute all those responsible for originating or circulating what the party described as a fabricated claim.

The controversy began after Bala alleged that his faction had obtained INEC’s access code and successfully uploaded candidates for the 2027 elections, a claim that circulated widely on social media.

However, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, rejected the claim, insisting that Bala is not recognized by the Commission as the ADC’s national chairman and that the purported portal access did not occur.