Nafiu Bala, a factional leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Thursday, led his supporters to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, asking the commission to recognise him as the legitimate leader of the party.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “INEC must be neutral,” “Respect court orders,” and “Recognise Nafiu Bala leadership.”
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Mr Bala’s protest happened exactly a day after the David Mark-led National Working Commission (NWC) of the same party protested at the INEC headquarters and submitted a petition asking the commission’s Chairperson, Joash Amupitan, to resign his position.
INEC had suspended the recognition of both factions of the party after they wrote to the commission, each requesting recognition based on a Court of Appeal judgement.
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After studying the judgement, the electoral body said the court asked it to maintain the status quo ante bellum and warned against doing anything to jeopardise the substantive suit at the Federal High Court. It, therefore, said it would no longer recognise any leadership of the party until there is a ruling.
But the ADC disagreed with INEC’s interpretation of the ruling.
Mr Mark’s faction, the most prominent, has repeatedly accused the electoral body of deliberate misinterpretation and calling for the removal of its chairperson.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, another faction led by Kingsley Temitope emerged, claiming to be the authentic leadership of the party. This group is loyal to the ADC presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu.
Submits petition, asked to be recognised
During the protest on Thursday, Mr Bala also submitted a petition to the electoral commission. The petition was received by INEC National Commissioner, Abdullahi Zuru, a professor.
Addressing journalists, Mr Bala said his faction remains the legitimate one and asked INEC to “respect the rule of law” and recognise his leadership.
He warned that failure to do so could further deepen tensions within the party.
He asked the commission to update its official records to reflect his position as national chairman, insisting it was the position of the appellate court.
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He accused the Mr Mark-led group of forging signatures to legitimise its position in the party.
“The intruders, by rudely forging the signatures of genuine members and leaders of the ADC, not only undermined the democratic process but also violated the trust vested in these representatives by their constituents.
“Such actions reflect a troubling trend in which illegitimate means are employed to achieve political ends, thereby eroding public confidence in political institutions,” he said.
Mr Bala also called on relevant authorities to investigate the allegations and ensure accountability.
