The Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a purported resignation letter linked to former African Democratic Congress (ADC) Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala, ruling that the document was forged.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, November 5, Justice Peter Lifu held that the letter—relied upon by the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark—was not authentic.
According to a Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained on Wednesday, Justice Lifu compared the signature on the disputed letter with signatures on Bala’s sworn witness statements and found glaring discrepancies.
Consequently, the court ruled that the document could not stand as proof that Bala voluntarily left office.
Addressing the weight of certified documents, Justice Lifu clarified that certification does not automatically validate a questioned signature.
“The fact that a document is certified does not, by that fact alone, settle a genuine dispute as to whether the person named in it actually signed it,” the judge stated.
“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. The court must therefore consider the document alongside other relevant evidence.”
Justice Lifu noted that courts can directly compare questioned signatures against established specimens without relying strictly on expert witnesses in every instance.
Comparing the document (Exhibit ADC-1) with Bala’s sworn affidavits, the judge concluded: “I am not satisfied that Exhibit ADC-1 represents the genuine act of the plaintiff. I therefore reject it as reliable proof that the plaintiff voluntarily resigned from his position as Deputy National Chairman of the 1st defendant (ADC).”
The ruling strikes at the heart of the ongoing power struggle within the ADC. The court had earlier nullified the David Mark-led executive and set aside the party’s nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its 2027 presidential candidate.
Bala headed to court in September 2025 to challenge the leadership structure that produced Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.
While the Mark faction argued that Bala resigned on May 17, 2025—and that the decision was duly communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)—Bala consistently denied signing any such document.
In April 2026, Bala publicly distanced himself from the paper, declaring: “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.”
By throwing out the letter, the court knocked out a key pillar of the Mark faction’s defence.
Justice Lifu further held that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola during the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting on July 27, 2025, violated Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates democratic elections for party leadership. The court added that internal NEC powers and INEC’s subsequent recognition could not override statutory electoral laws.
The judgment deepens the legal quicksand surrounding the ADC, though the Mark faction has rejected the verdict and vowed to appeal. The decision also leaves the party’s 2027 election plans in limbo following the court’s nullification of Atiku’s nomination.
