The leadership crisis within African Democratic Congress (ADC) has intensified, as its factional national chairman, Nafiu Bala, firmly rejected claims that he stepped down from his position as deputy national chairman, insisting that the alleged resignation letter circulating online is fraudulent.
Gatekeepers News reports that Bala’s response comes in the wake of a recent position taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which weighed in on the ongoing leadership tussle within the party, further bringing the internal dispute into national focus.
In a video interview published by Rariva Hausa, Bala distanced himself from a document that purportedly showed he resigned on May 17, 2025, stressing that the letter neither originated from him nor bears his authentic signature.
“My name is Hon. Nafiu Bala, the ADC acting national chairman,” he said.
“I would like to use this opportunity to address a document currently circulating, which claims that I resigned from my position as national vice chairman on May 17th.”
“I wish to state that this paper did not come from me, and that is not my signature on it. The signature you see there was forged.”
Providing further context, Bala explained that his current position as acting national chairman followed a leadership vacuum created by the exit of top party officials. According to him, the development occurred during a major party event held on July 2, when new political entrants signaled interest in joining the ADC.
“If you didn’t forget, on the 2nd of July, we attended the event where some people showed interest in joining our party, the ADC,” he said.
“On that day, the former ADC chairman, Ralph Nwosu, announced that he, his secretary, and other party leaders were stepping down from their positions.”
“On that same day, he told the world that I, along with other people, would continue running the party affairs until the national convention.”
Bala maintained that his assumption of leadership aligns with the party’s constitutional provisions, which mandate that a deputy takes over in the absence of a substantive leader. He added that his decision to resume duties as acting national chairman is both lawful and necessary to ensure continuity within the party.
“Because of that, I am resuming office today as the ADC national chairman. According to our party constitution, when there is no leader, the deputy takes over,” he said.
He also questioned the authenticity of the alleged resignation letter, noting that any official communication from him would follow established procedures and carry identifiable features.
“When I was deputy national chairman, if I were to write a resignation letter, I would do it using my official letterhead,” he said.
“Any letter not containing my letterhead is not from me.”
This is not the first time Bala has discredited the document. Reports indicate that as far back as August 1, 2025, he had already dismissed the same letter, describing it as entirely false, deceptive, malicious and fake, thereby reinforcing his claim that the document is part of an attempt to undermine his position.
The controversy continues to highlight deep divisions within the ADC, as competing factions struggle for legitimacy ahead of future party activities, including a planned national convention expected to determine the party’s leadership structure moving forward.
