ADC Seeks INEC Probe Over Alleged Forged Nomination Documents by Rival Faction

The African Democratic Congress has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to investigate what it described as the alleged forgery and unauthorised use of documents linked to the commission after a rival faction claimed it had uploaded the party’s presidential and other candidates to INEC’s nomination portal.

The party made the request on Monday while rejecting the claim by a group led by Nafiu Gombe. According to the ADC, only the leadership recognised by INEC has access to the nomination portal and has completed the nomination of the party’s candidates in line with the Electoral Act.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the rival group was spreading false information to mislead the public and create confusion over the party’s leadership.

The party explained that INEC could not grant access to its nomination portal or issue nomination codes to a leadership it does not officially recognise. It also argued that the commission would not issue separate nomination codes to different groups within the same political party.

The ADC questioned the rival faction’s claim and challenged it to provide proof that it had successfully accessed the nomination portal or uploaded any candidates.

The party further asked INEC to examine what it described as forged documents allegedly presented as official records from the commission. It warned that such actions could weaken public trust in the electoral process if left unchecked.

The ADC maintained that there is no leadership crisis within the party, insisting that INEC recognises only one national leadership, which completed the nomination process through the commission’s official platform.

It also said the names of its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, had already been uploaded to the INEC portal together with the party’s other candidates.

The party accused some individuals of attempting to distract it ahead of the 2027 general election but said it would remain focused on presenting its programmes and preparing for the polls.

The ADC also urged its members, supporters, the media and the general public to ignore what it described as false claims and rely only on information released through the party’s official communication channels.