APC Induced, Used Bala To Destabilize ADC –  Abdullahi

By Ayodele Oni

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has revealed how the party made several offers to Nafiu Bala Gombe after change of leadership but rejected all.

He stated that he later opted to align with external political interests after allegedly receiving inducements, as the party’s leadership crisis continues to generate controversy across Nigeria’s political landscape.

Speaking during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Monday, Abdullahi accused the opposition of intentionally luring Nafiu Bala with offers the ADC could not match, insisting that the party is focused on saving Nigerians and not enriching political actors.

“We made efforts to pacify him, we approached him, we tried to find something for him to do within the party, but at that point he had already approached people within government who were willing to use him, and we could not match what they were offering him.

“Suddenly, this is a man we all know, and he now has a convoy of armoured cars, security details, and is living in luxury.

“Where did all that come from? For us, it is clear that he got a better offer elsewhere and decided to align with those interests against the party,” he said.

Recall that the leadership crisis within the ADC intensified in early April  as factional leader Nafiu Bala publicly disowned a circulating resignation letter, labeling it a forgery.

This development follows a Court of Appeal ruling that prompted INEC to de-list the rival National Working Committee led by Senator David Mark.

Bala, who claims he is the rightful acting chairman as the party’s highest-ranking original officer, faces accusations from opponents of being a sponsored agent meant to destabilize the party, even as his supporters protest at INEC headquarters for his formal recognition.

Abdullahi insisted repeatedly that there was no internal confusion within the ADC, contrary to public perception, maintaining that the situation was artificially created by external forces.

“There was no confusion in ADC, except that which has been engineered by INEC, which is being used by the ruling All Progressives Congress on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“There is no confusion whatsoever. What INEC has done is to create a situation that never existed, and Nigerians are beginning to see through it. This is not about internal disagreement; this is about external interference designed to destabilise the party,” he declared.

The ADC spokesman also challenged INEC’s authority over party leadership matters, describing its actions as unconstitutional and inconsistent with established legal precedents.

He maintained that political parties operate as voluntary associations whose internal affairs cannot be dictated by external bodies, stressing that INEC’s role is limited to supervision.

“INEC does not have the power to remove leadership of a political party. Fundamentally, a political party is a voluntary association, and if you are not a member of our family, you cannot come and remove the head of that family.

“The role of INEC is supervisory, not administrative, not to control political parties and decide how they run their affairs. What they have done goes completely against established legal principles and the very foundation of democratic practice in Nigeria,” Abdullahi stated.

Addressing the Court of Appeal ruling at the centre of the dispute, Abdullahi explained that the directive to maintain “status quo ante bellum” had been misinterpreted by INEC.

He clarified that the ruling referred to maintaining the condition of the party before the conflict initiated by Bala, a period during which the leadership under David Mark was already in place and recognised.

“The Court of Appeal ruling was very clear when it said maintain status quo ante bellum, which simply means return to the situation before the conflict started.

“Now, before Nafiu Bala went to court, David Mark was already the duly recognised chairman of the party following the NEC meeting of July 29, which INEC monitored and acknowledged.

“So how does maintaining status quo suddenly translate into removing an existing leadership and leaving the party without direction? That interpretation is not only fraudulent, it is dishonest and completely self-serving.”