…As ADC Crisis Deepens, Spokesman Maintains INEC Wants Party Out of 2027 Race
By Yinka Giwa
The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took a dramatic turn on Monday as its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged that embattled party figure Nafiu Bala aligned with external political interests after receiving “inducement.”
Speaking during an interview on a current affairs programme in Ogun State, Abdullahi claimed Bala had been lured by forces outside the party with offers the ADC could not match, insisting the party remains focused on national interest rather than personal enrichment.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
“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.”
Abdullahi also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of engineering a crisis within the party in collaboration with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), allegedly on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“There was no confusion in ADC, except that which has been engineered by INEC,” he said. “This is not about internal disagreement; it is about external interference designed to destabilise the party.”
He further argued that INEC lacks constitutional authority to interfere in party leadership, describing its actions as inconsistent with democratic principles.
“A political party is a voluntary association. If you are not a member of our family, you cannot come and remove the head of that family,” he stated.
The controversy follows a Court of Appeal ruling directing parties to maintain “status quo ante bellum,” a directive Abdullahi said had been misinterpreted by INEC.
According to him, the ruling refers to the period before the dispute initiated by Bala, when the party leadership under former Senate President David Mark was already in place and recognised.
“Before Nafiu Bala went to court, David Mark was the duly recognised chairman following the NEC meeting monitored by INEC. So how does maintaining status quo translate into removing an existing leadership?” he queried.
Abdullahi dismissed Bala’s claim to the chairmanship as baseless, insisting he was only one of several deputy national chairmen.
“At what point was Nafiu Bala ever chairman? The answer is clearly no,” he said.
On allegations that Bala’s resignation was forged, Abdullahi challenged him to provide evidence of any police report, stressing that forgery is a criminal offence requiring formal investigation.
“There is ample evidence he resigned. We even examined his linguistic fingerprint, and everything aligns with the resignation letter,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ADC has raised concerns that INEC’s refusal to accept its correspondence could effectively shut it out of the 2027 general elections.
The party warned that the Commission’s stance makes it impossible to meet critical legal requirements, including submission deadlines ahead of the May 10 cut-off.
“The Electoral Act imposes strict timelines, yet INEC is refusing to receive our communications within that same period,” the party said.
“In simple terms, INEC is threatening that unless the courts deliver a judgement before May 10, the ADC may be prevented from fielding candidates.”
Abdullahi further alleged a coordinated effort to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
“All these things are meant to ensure that by 2027 there will be only one candidate on the ballot,” he warned. “This is not accidental; it is coordinated and dangerous for democracy.”
Despite the crisis, Abdullahi affirmed that the ADC would proceed with its planned national convention, insisting it had complied fully with legal requirements, including notifying INEC within the stipulated timeframe.
“There is absolutely nothing unlawful about proceeding with our convention, and we will not allow illegal directives to derail our activities,” he stated.
Concluding, Abdullahi framed the crisis as a broader test of Nigeria’s democratic system, expressing confidence in the judiciary.
“What is at stake is not just the ADC; it is Nigeria’s democracy itself,” he said. “We are not intimidated, and we will pursue this matter to its logical conclusion.”