2027: Atiku Media Office Accuses INEC of Granting Portal Access to ADC Faction

The Atiku Media Office has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of unlawfully granting access to its candidate nomination portal to a rival faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleging that the move is aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

According to the statement, Nafiu Bala Gombe, whom the media office described as a “pretender” to the ADC national chairmanship, announced on July 11 that he had successfully uploaded the names of his candidates to INEC’s nomination portal.

The Atiku Media Office argued that access to the portal should only be granted to the legally recognised leadership of political parties in accordance with INEC’s guidelines for the 2027 elections.

“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,” the statement said.

It maintained that the leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark remains the only recognised executive of the ADC and that any candidate list submitted by Gombe lacks legal validity.

“The so-called successful uploading of candidates by Nafiu Bala Gombe is neither grounded in law nor 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,” it added.

The media office further alleged that Gombe did not conduct valid party primaries as required by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, insisting that only candidates produced through the David Mark-led leadership could be lawfully recognised.

It described the alleged granting of portal access as unconstitutional and called on INEC to clarify the circumstances surrounding the development.

The statement also urged the electoral commission to refrain from actions capable of creating internal crises within opposition parties, warning that public confidence in the electoral process depends on strict adherence to constitutional provisions and the commission’s own guidelines.