ADC Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Media Office has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly taking sides in the leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claiming the electoral body is assisting efforts to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the media office alleged that INEC unlawfully granted access to its candidate nomination portal to a faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe despite the commission’s alleged recognition of the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.
The statement followed claims by Gombe on July 11 that his faction had successfully uploaded the names of its candidates to INEC’s nomination portal, a process reserved for political parties through access codes issued by the electoral commission.
According to the Atiku Media Office, INEC has neither confirmed nor denied the claim, a development it described as raising serious concerns over the commission’s neutrality.
The statement alleged that by issuing an access code to Gombe, whom it described as a “pretender” to the office of ADC national chairman, INEC had acted contrary to both the law and its own guidelines.
It further claimed that the commission had previously recognised the David Mark-led executive of the ADC and questioned how two separate factions could receive recognition.
The media office also accused INEC of repeating what it described as earlier irregularities involving the party’s leadership, alleging that officials under the commission had previously removed the names of the recognised ADC executives following conflicting court decisions.
Questioning the legality of the alleged portal access, the statement said, “The so-called ‘successful’ uploading of ‘candidates’ by Nafiu Bala Gombe is neither grounded in law or supported by INEC’s own guidelines. Nafiu Bala Gombe is not recognised as ADC Chairman. Mark is duly recognised. Can there be two recognised Chairmen of a political party? Possibly only in an INEC led by Amupitan. Can INEC grant two access codes to a political party? Certainly not.”
The Atiku Media Office alleged that the action was capable of creating unnecessary conflict within the ADC and other opposition parties.
It further stated, “What INEC has done is a recipe for crisis and confirms that Prof Joash Amupitan was appointed to enable the weakening of the opposition parties by creating crisis even where none exists.”
Citing relevant provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the statement argued that candidates of political parties must emerge through recognised primaries monitored by INEC and that only one validly nominated candidate can be submitted for each elective office.
The statement maintained that the only candidates recognised by law are those produced by the David Mark-led leadership, insisting that any parallel submission lacks legal validity.
It added, “The INEC granting of access code to Nafiu Bala Gombe is unconstitutional and unlawful. The only submitted candidates known to the law are those of David Mark. Any parallel submission such as Nafiu Bala Gombe’s is null and void.”
The Atiku Media Office urged the electoral commission to refrain from actions it said could deepen divisions within opposition parties.
It concluded by calling on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to desist from what it described as interference in the affairs of the ADC and other opposition parties, alleging that such actions ultimately advance “President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of total state capture.”
INEC had not responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
