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 purportedly issued by the commission, following claims by a rival faction that it had uploaded the names of the party’s presidential candidate and other nominees to INEC’s nomination portal.
The Nafiu Bala Gombe faction had announced on Sunday night that it successfully uploaded its list of candidates to the commission’s portal, displaying photographs of what it claimed was the completed process bearing the INEC logo and insignia.
However, the David Mark-led leadership dismissed the claim, insisting that only the party leadership recognised by INEC has access to the nomination portal and that it had already completed the nomination process in line with the Electoral Act.
In a statement released on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the reports as a deliberate attempt to mislead Nigerians and create confusion.
According to the party, INEC could not have granted nomination portal access or issued nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognise, arguing that the rival faction’s claims lacked any legal or procedural basis.
“INEC does not issue nomination portal access or nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognise.
“Secondly, the commission will not issue two codes to the same 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 statement said.
The party challenged the Bala Gombe group to publicly present evidence supporting its claim of accessing and using the commission’s portal.
“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?” it asked.
The ADC further called on INEC to probe what it described as the apparent forgery and unauthorised use of documents allegedly originating from the commission, warning that such actions could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
“We are formally drawing the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission to what appears to be 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.
“We trust that the commission will investigate this matter and take the necessary steps to correct this blatant misrepresentation,” it added.
Reaffirming its position, the party maintained that there was no leadership crisis within the ADC, stressing that INEC recognises only one leadership, which was granted access to the nomination portal and successfully completed the submission of its candidates.
The party added that the names of its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and vice-presidential candidate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, had already been uploaded to the commission’s portal.
The ADC also accused unnamed individuals of trying to divert attention from its preparations for the 2027 general election but vowed to remain focused on its campaign.
“As the election approaches, there will be repeated attempts to distract the party and mislead the public.
“We will not be distracted. Our focus remains firmly on 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,” the statement further read.
The party urged its members, supporters, media organisations and the general public to ignore what it described as false claims and rely only on information released through its official communication channels.
The development comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general election.
Under Nigeria’s electoral laws, parties are required to submit the names and particulars of their candidates through INEC’s designated nomination portal within the timelines stipulated by the Electoral Act and the commission’s guidelines.
While the original deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates was Saturday, July 11, 2026, INEC extended it on Sunday morning to Tuesday, July 14, following appeals from stakeholders.
