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The Atiku Media Office has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of unlawfully granting portal access to a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleging that the electoral umpire is aiding President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to disenfranchise opposition parties.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Atiku Media Office said Nafiu Bala Gombe, whom it described as a “pretender” to the ADC national chairmanship, announced on July 11 that he had successfully uploaded candidates’ names to INEC’s nomination portal.
“On 11 July 2026, Nafiu Bala Gombe who parades himself as National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) issued a statement that he has succeeded in uploading the names of his candidates on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement read.
“The uploading of the names of candidates on INEC portal is part of the process of the 2027 General Elections made possible by the granting of access codes to political parties in line with the umpire’s guidelines.
“Meanwhile, INEC has been mum, and has not denied or confirmed this obvious contradiction to the law and its own guidelines.
“By granting access code to Bala Gombe, a pretender laying claims to the chairmanship of the ADC, though the law is not on his side and INEC has since validated the chairmanship of the Sen. David Mark-led exco, the electoral umpire is once again manifesting its partisanship.”
“This was the same thing that the Prof Joash Amupitan-led INEC did when it illegally removed the names of the duly recognised ADC exco following the judicial rascality of Justice Lifu in ignoring a superior ruling of an appelate court.
“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.
“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.”
The Atiku Media Office cited Section 222 of the Constitution, which requires that candidates emerge through recognised party primaries, and Section 84 of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that parties must submit only one validly nominated candidate per elective office.
“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,” it stated.
“Prof Joash Amupitan should quit formenting crisis in the ADC and the other opposition parties and by so doing helping President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of total state capture.”
INEC had earlier in March removed the David Mark-led leadership from its portal in compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling directing all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” pending the determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
However, the commission later restored the Mark-led leadership after a Supreme Court ruling set aside the appellate court’s directive.
PRESS RELEASE
INEC aiding, abetting Tinubu’s agenda to disenfranchise ADC, other opposition parties
On 11 July 2026, Nafiu Bala Gombe who parades himself as National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) issued a statement that he has succeeded in uploading the… pic.twitter.com/WPDuN60EUn
— Paul Ibe (@omonlakiki) July 13, 2026
