By Lateef Ibrahim
The Atiku Media Office has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify reports that it granted access to its candidate nomination portal to a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Nafiu Bala Gombe.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the media office alleged that granting portal access to the faction could undermine the electoral process and create confusion within the opposition party.
According to the statement, Nafiu Bala Gombe announced on July 11 that his faction had successfully uploaded the names of its candidates to INEC’s nomination portal for the 2027 general election.
The Atiku Media Office argued that access to the nomination portal should be available only to the leadership recognized by INEC in accordance with the Commission’s guidelines.
It maintained that the leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark remains the recognized national executive of the ADC and contended that any candidate list submitted by a rival faction would lack legal validity.
The media office also questioned whether valid party primaries were conducted by the Bala-led faction, arguing that candidates can only emerge through processes recognized by law and the Electoral Act.
It urged INEC to explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged portal access and to ensure that its actions do not contribute to disputes within political parties.
INEC had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
