ADC Demands  Prosecution Of Factional Leader Bala-Gombe Over INEC Access Code

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The opposition Coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Tuesday July 14, 2026, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to take steps to sanction the Nafiu Bala-Gombe-led faction of the party over its recent false claims of having access to its restricted nomination candidates’ nomination platform.

The call stems from the recent claim by Bala-Gombe and his faction to have successfully uploaded the names and particulars of their Presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 polls on the INEC’s portal.

The claim which has since been refuted by the Commission has, however, continued to elicit outrage and condemnation from not a few in the face of the fact that  the Bala-Gombe faction of the ADC is not recognised by the INEC.

In a statement by Bolaji Abdullahi, its National Publicity Secretary, the ADC, while welcoming the swift response of the Commission to the spurious claims by the Bala-Gombe group, however called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the claim itself with a view to arresting and prosecuting those found culpable.

According to the ADC, its demand for appropriate sanctions, derived from the fact that the ongoing activities of the Bala-Gombe faction has transcended the acceptable borders of politics to touch on an orchestrated plot to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

“The African Democratic Congress, ADC, welcomes the prompt clarification by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC which unequivocally confirmed that the document circulated by Nafiu Bala-Gombe purporting to show that he had obtained the Commission’s access code and uploaded candidates on behalf of the ADC for the 2027 general elections was forged, and that the claim itself was entirely false.

“The issue before us is no longer simply about the Continuous false statements thy have been issued by Nafiu Bala-Gombe at the behest of his sponsors. It is about the clear and unmistakable attempt to mislead the Nigerian public.

“To publicly claim that one has gained access to INEC’s restricted nomination platform ,and exercise powers reserved for duly recognised party officials is a grave matter that deserves the immediate attention of law enforcement agencies.

“As a responsible party, the ADC, therefore, calls on INEC to take all the necessary steps to ensure that Mr Nafiu Bala-Gombe, and anyone else involved in originating, or promoting this falsehood are investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law”, the ADC stated.