The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that it granted access codes to a rival faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Nafiu Gombe, enabling them to upload candidates’ names to its nomination portal.
A senior INEC official, who spoke to PUNCH Online on condition of anonymity, clarified that the commission only recognises the National Executive Committee of the ADC led by Senator David Mark.
“INEC did not give access codes to Nafiu Gombe as claimed by Atiku’s Media Office. The recognised leadership of ADC, according to our records, is that of the Senator David Mark-led leadership. If you go to our portal right now, Senator David Mark is the chairman of the ADC, while Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the Secretary,” the official said.
Atiku’s camp had alleged on Monday that INEC was aiding efforts to weaken opposition parties by granting Gombe access to the portal, accusing the commission’s chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, of fuelling internal crises to advance President Bola Tinubu’s political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
The INEC official rejected the claims, stressing that Gombe lacked the legal standing to submit candidates’ names since he is not recognised as the party’s chairman. “It’s as good as saying that Nafiu Gombe cannot upload the names of candidates on the INEC portal because he is not the officially recognised chairman of the ADC,” the source added.
The commission also dismissed allegations against Amupitan, describing them as baseless attempts to drag the electoral body into internal party disputes. “Amupitan did not go to court. Amupitan did not drag Nafiu Gombe to court and Amupitan did not drag the David Mark-led ADC to court; it’s a party crisis, so why are they trying to drag Amupitan into it?” the official stated.
Meanwhile, the ADC, through its spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, also denied claims that Gombe or his faction uploaded candidates’ names, insisting that INEC recognises only the David Mark-led leadership. The party urged the commission to investigate alleged forgery and unauthorised use of documents purportedly issued by INEC.
The leadership tussle within the ADC has intensified since the emergence of Senator David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, with rival factions challenging their authority as political alignments gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election.
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