The African Democratic Congress has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to look into claims of forgery and illegal use of documents said to be from the electoral body. This comes after a rival group led by Nafiu Gombe claimed it uploaded the names of the party’s presidential candidate and other nominees to the commission’s nomination portal.
The ADC rejected the claims, calling them false. The party said only the leadership that INEC recognizes has access to the nomination portal and has followed the nomination process as stated in the Electoral Act.
In a statement released on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said these reports aim to confuse the public.
The party emphasized that INEC cannot give access to the nomination portal or nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognize. They argued that there is no basis for the rival group’s claims.
"INEC does not issue nomination portal access or nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognize. Secondly, the Commission will not issue two codes to the same party. Otherwise, every impostor would simply upload names to the portal and proclaim themselves the authentic leadership of a political party. That is plainly not how the law or the Commission’s processes work," the statement said.
The ADC challenged the rival group to show proof that it accessed the commission’s nomination portal successfully.
"The question, therefore, is straightforward: where is the evidence of this purported upload by a group of individuals not known by law or the electoral body?" it asked.
The party called on INEC to investigate what it described as forgery and unauthorized use of documents that seemed to come from the commission. They warned that such actions could damage public trust in the electoral process.
"We are formally drawing the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission to what appears to be the forgery and unauthorized use of documents purportedly emanating from the Commission in a manner capable of creating confusion and undermining public confidence in its integrity and reputation as Nigeria’s electoral umpire. We trust that the Commission will investigate this matter and take the necessary steps to correct this blatant misrepresentation," the statement added.
Reaffirming its stance, the ADC stated it is not divided and dismissed any talk of a leadership dispute.
According to the statement, INEC recognizes only one leadership of the party and has given it access to the nomination portal, where it completed the nomination of its candidates.
The party also noted that details of its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and vice-presidential candidate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, have already been uploaded to the INEC portal.
The ADC accused unnamed individuals of trying to distract the party as the 2027 general election approaches but said it will stay focused on its campaign.
"As the election approaches, there will be repeated attempts to distract the party and mislead the public. We will not be distracted. Our focus remains firmly on presenting Nigerians with a credible alternative that can restore security, tackle the rising cost of living, revive the economy, create jobs, and return the country to the path of progress in 2027," the statement said.
The party urged its members, supporters, the media, and the general public to ignore what it called misleading claims and rely only on official communications issued through its authorized channels.
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