ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared a purported resignation letter attributed to former African Democratic Congress (ADC) Deputy National Chairman Nafiu Bala to be a forgery, rejecting it as evidence of his voluntary departure from the party leadership.
In a Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained on Wednesday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the disputed document—relied upon by the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark—was not authentic following a direct forensic comparison of signatures.
Examining the letter against Bala’s verified affidavits, Justice Lifu noted significant material discrepancies between the signatures, ruling that official certification of a document by administrative bodies does not automatically validate a forged endorsement.
“Certification may establish the status of the copy as a true copy of the document in the custody of the certifying authority; it does not necessarily establish the authenticity of the disputed signature,” Justice Lifu held. “I am not satisfied that [the document] represents the genuine act of the plaintiff. I therefore reject it as reliable proof that the plaintiff voluntarily resigned.”
Nullification of 2027 presidential ticket and leadership structure
The court’s rejection of the resignation letter dismantles a central defense presented by the Mark-led faction in the broader legal battle over the opposition party’s executive control.
The suit, originally filed by Bala in September 2025, challenged the legitimacy of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 27, 2025, which installed David Mark as National Chairman and former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu held that:
- Electoral Act Violations: The emergency transition failed to satisfy the mandatory requirements for democratic internal elections stipulated under Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, ruling that neither internal NEC resolutions nor administrative recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could override statutory law.
- Invalidation of 2027 Ticket: The judgment officially nullified the decisions taken by the Mark-led executive, including the party’s nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Counsel for the Mark-led faction rejected the high court decision, confirming plans to lodge an immediate appeal, leaving the ADC’s legal standing and candidate nominations in deep uncertainty ahead of the upcoming electoral cycle.
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