ADC Petitions INEC Over Rival Faction’s Alleged Nomination

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate what it described as the alleged forgery and unlawful use of the commission’s documents after a rival faction claimed it had uploaded the names of its presidential candidate and other nominees to INEC’s nomination portal.

The request was made by the David Mark-led leadership of the party after the Nafiu Bala Gombe faction announced on Sunday night that it had successfully submitted the names of its candidates through the commission’s portal. The faction also shared images showing what it claimed was the completed nomination process with INEC’s logo displayed.

In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the Mark-led leadership dismissed the claim, describing it as false and capable of misleading the public. The party maintained that only the leadership recognised by INEC has access to the nomination portal and had already completed the nomination process in line with the Electoral Act.

According to the party, INEC could not provide portal access or nomination codes to a leadership that it does not officially recognise. It also stated that the commission would not issue multiple nomination codes to different groups within the same political party, as such a process would create confusion and weaken the integrity of the electoral system.

The party challenged the Bala Gombe faction to produce credible evidence proving it had gained access to the commission’s portal and successfully uploaded candidates’ details.

The ADC further urged INEC to examine what it described as the apparent forgery and unauthorised use of documents presented as official commission records. It warned that such actions could create confusion and affect public confidence in the electoral process if left unchecked.

The party insisted that there was no leadership dispute within its ranks, maintaining that INEC had recognised only one leadership and granted it access to the nomination portal for the submission of candidates.

It also disclosed that the names of its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, had already been submitted through the official portal.

The Mark-led faction accused unnamed individuals of attempting to distract the party ahead of the 2027 general election but said it remained focused on presenting its candidates and campaign plans. It urged party members, supporters, the media and the general public to disregard reports from unofficial sources and rely only on statements issued by the recognised party leadership.

The disagreement comes as political parties continue preparations for the 2027 general election. Under Nigeria’s electoral guidelines, political parties are required to submit the names and details of their candidates through INEC’s designated nomination portal within the timelines set by the Electoral Act and the commission.

Although INEC initially fixed July 11, 2026, as the deadline for uploading presidential and National Assembly candidates, the commission later extended the deadline to July 14 following requests from stakeholders.