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Nafiu Bala, who claims to be the Acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has dismissed reports that he resigned from his position as deputy national chairman, insisting that a document circulating to that effect is fake.
His reaction follows the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ‘s decision on Wednesday regarding the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
Speaking in a video published by Rariya Hausa, Bala said the alleged resignation letter dated May 17, 2025, did not originate from him, maintaining that the signature on the document was forged.
“My name is Hon. Nafiu Bala, the ADC acting national chairman,” he said.
“I would like to use this opportunity to address a document currently circulating, which claims that I resigned from my position as national vice chairman on May 17th.
“I wish to state that this paper did not come from me, and that is not my signature on it. The signature you see there was forged.”
He explained that his current claim to leadership stems from the resignation of the party’s former executives.
According to him, during a party event on July 2, 2025, the then national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, alongside other leaders, stepped down and mandated him and others to oversee party affairs pending a national convention.
“If you didn’t forget, on the 2nd of July, we attended the event where some people showed interest in joining our party, the ADC,” he said.
“On that day, the former ADC chairman, Ralph Nwosu, announced that he, his secretary, and other party leaders were stepping down from their positions.
“On that same day, he told the world that I, along with other people, would continue running the party affairs until the national convention.”
Bala argued that, in line with the party’s constitution, he has now assumed office as acting national chairman, noting that the deputy is empowered to take over in the absence of a substantive leader.
He further stated that any official resignation from him would have been issued on his personal letterhead, stressing that any document lacking that feature should be disregarded.
This is not the first time Bala has denied the resignation claim, having earlier described the letter in August 2025 as false and malicious. The controversy adds another layer to the leadership tussle within the ADC, involving former Senate President David Mark.
Mark had insisted that Bala resign in May 2025 and that the resignation was formally communicated to INEC in August of the same year, questioning Bala’s subsequent legal challenge for the party’s leadership.
The dispute has since escalated into a legal battle. Bala approached a Federal High Court in Abuja in September 2025, seeking to stop Mark’s faction from presenting itself as the party’s leadership and to compel INEC to recognise him instead.
Following the litigation, INEC withdrew recognition of the party’s leadership factions and removed the names of Mark’s executive team from its portal.
