ADC: Court declares Bala’s resignation letter invalid
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled against a resignation letter purportedly signed by Nafiu Bala, the former Deputy National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The court determined the letter did not constitute valid evidence of Bala’s voluntary resignation from his position.
Delivering the judgment on November 5, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu stated that the signature on the disputed letter was significantly different from Bala’s signatures on other documents submitted in court. TheCable reported the court’s decision declared the caretaker committee of the ADC, led by David Mark, to be illegal. Consequently, decisions made by the committee, including the nomination of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, were invalidated.
Bala had initiated the legal proceedings to contest the appointments of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the national chairman and national secretary of the ADC, respectively. These appointments followed the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 29, 2025, which took place after the resignation of former national chairman Ralph Nwosu.
In his court submissions, Bala stated that he was elected Deputy National Chairman on October 12, 2022, for a four-year term set to expire on October 11, 2026. He asserted that he was the only remaining elected member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) who had not resigned amid the departures of others.
Bala argued that any vacancies created by resignations must be filled through democratic elections as mandated by the party’s constitution, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act 2022. He alleged that Mark, Aregbesola, and 49 other individuals were appointed and ratified as NWC members at the July 29 meeting without following the proper election procedures.
The plaintiff also contested the validity of the notice calling the meeting, asserting it lacked the required agenda and the names of the committee members responsible for the convention. Furthermore, he accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of neglecting its statutory responsibilities by recognizing the new leadership and attending the meeting without objection.
Central to the case was a resignation letter dated May 17, 2025, presented by the ADC as evidence. Bala claimed the signatures on this letter and a related forwarding letter were not his, labeling the disputed signature a forged imitation.
In response, the ADC and other defendants refuted Bala’s claims, arguing that he had voluntarily resigned and therefore lacked standing to challenge subsequent party decisions. They maintained that the NEC had the authority to dissolve the NWC and appoint national officers under the party’s constitution, arguing that the NEC had properly convened the July 29 meeting and that its resolutions were valid.
The defendants also contended that the matter at hand involved internal party affairs and was not subject to judicial review. They further questioned Bala’s membership status, alleging he had failed to renew it for over six months.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu emphasized that the certification of a document does not, in itself, prove that the named individual actually signed it. After examining the signatures in question, he found significant differences that undermined the authenticity of the resignation letter.
“The fact that a document is certified does not settle a genuine dispute as to whether the person named in it actually signed it,” Justice Lifu ruled, declaring Exhibit ADC 1, the resignation letter, invalid as evidence of Bala’s resignation.
Furthermore, the judge found that the defendants failed to demonstrate compliance with the democratic election requirements mandated by the Electoral Act 2022. He stated that there was insufficient evidence that party members had the opportunity to participate in an election process.
Justice Lifu ruled that the actions stemming from the July 29, 2025, meeting were null and void and ordered INEC to refrain from recognizing Mark, Aregbesola, or any NWC members they represented as officers of the ADC, thereby granting Bala the reliefs he sought.
