E-X-P-O-S-E-D-! Nafiu Bala, upon whom INEC relied to delist ADC leaders, resigned from party since 2025

By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTER, Abuja

“How can you take such a very sensitive decision hiding behind an indefensible claim of ‘factional parties in court’ when you were the same body that received the resignation letter of the same claimant now in court from the party since last year? If the coming 2027 general elections will not devolve into chaos, the decision is solely with INEC,” a reaction to the report Wednesday said.

As reactions continue to trail Wednesday April 1, 2026 delisting of leaders of Nigeria’s only vibrant opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), an evidence that the arrowhead of the so-called factional leader upon of whom the electoral umpire relied to take such decision, Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe, had resigned from both leadership and membership of the party since 2025 has emerged.

INEC, according to a document now leaked to the Internet, received notification of Hon. Nafiu Bala’s resignation. The Nafiu Bala, then Deputy National Chairman of ADC’s notification of resignation, though the person involved attempted to deny it, was duly received and stamped by INEC back then in October, 2026 thus creating the loss of public trust in the decision by the electoral body on Wednesday.

“How can you take such a very sensitive decision hiding behind an indefensible claim of ‘factional parties in court’ when you were the same body that received the resignation letter of the same claimant now in court from the party since last year? If the coming 2027 general elections will not devolve into chaos, the decision is solely with INEC,” a reaction to the report Wednesday said.

Another reaction by Penguin said, “You can imagine! This is the same character they want to make chairman. But APC and Tinubu should stop wasting their time because even if the election is conducted in their bedroom, Peter Obi will still be on the ballot,” according to his own angle to the reactions pouring on the internet.

Esnbrutality said: “This INEC needs to be wiped into shape.. Just imagine a body indulging in biased and partisan manner. Na wa oooo.. Democracy DIED and the LOVERs of NIGERIA killed it. All I know is that IF TINUBU doesn’t get Oduduwa Republic after he exists…e go bad for SW ooooo!! Na so e be oooo…people are not buying their propaganda again oooo!”

Obi4eze, in another reaction said, “Re: INEC Received Notification Of Hon. Nafiu Bala Resignation. What exactly is Bola Tinubu scared of? Aren’t 30 governors enough to win? Or you don’t trust them?”

Among Nigerians who have reacted to the delisting of ADC leaders by INEC was one that raised a point of caution advising the electoral body to stop being obedient to its representative appointor (president) and limit itself to being loyal to the nation and its Constitution that delegates him the duty to appoint.

The commission, which delisted Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC, had also said it would not recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is seeking to be declared national chairman through the courts despite having resigned as deputy national chairman last year.

The ADC has been clear about its unity and has constantly while updating Nigerians exposed many efforts made by the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to split party using some elements who had willfully quitted to join the purportedly Renewed of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rebuild the nation from 2027.

But, to the chagrin of many defenders of democracy home and abroad, the Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday April 1, 2026 allegedly tried to act the Tinubu’s opposition divisionist ‘strategy’ when it said it would suspend recognition of “all factions” (?) within the party and refrain from monitoring any conventions or congresses organised by groups aligned with the affected leaders.

The decision, it said, will remain in place pending the final determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court.

The DEFENDER had reported that the latest stand of the electoral umpire was coming despite allegations that the Tinubu-led Federal Government was sponsoring unpatriotic persons no longer members of the ADC to put up a make-believe crisis that seems to factionalize the party thereby finding the development as an opportunity ostensibly orchestrated to weaken the most vibrant opposition party and stop it from being able to challenge its APC candidacy at the elections.

But INEC disclosed that it had received a letter dated March 16, 2026, from Suleiman Usman SAN & Co, warning against any recognition of Nafiu Bala Gombe as acting national chairman while legal proceedings are ongoing.

The Commission also confirmed receiving a separate “Demand for Enforcement” from Summit Law Chambers, representing Gombe, which called for the removal of Mark and Aregbesola from INEC’s records and urged the Commission to stop engaging with them or recognising any activities conducted under their authority.

The conflicting legal demands from the rival factions, which many observers said should not have bothered the INEC and should not have been entertained by any patriotic judiciary, have prompted the INEC to halt all official dealings with the contending groups until the courts resolve the matter.

The DEFENDER reports that ADC had earlier said complained that the Tinubu-led APC government was pushing the INEC undermine it because of the injuries it sustained from Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the most vibrant opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), recently.