Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has accused a factional leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala Gombe, of “commercialising his conscience” amid the opposition party’s lingering leadership crisis.
Melaye made the allegation during an appearance on the ‘MIC On’ Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, and aired on Saturday.
Questioning Bala’s political trajectory, Melaye said, “Nafiu Bala resigned from our party in May 2025. What happened to him between May and September 2025?”
“Of course, he commercialised his conscience; he got induced by the ruling party.”
When asked if he could prove his allegations, Melaye insisted that the matter was already before the court where it will be proven.
“My brother, we are in court; we will prove that — we will prove it 100 per cent,” he said.
Bala, however, has denied resigning from the ADC, insisting that his signature was forged and that he remained the ADC national chairman.
The disagreement forms part of a broader leadership tussle within the ADC, particularly between Bala and former Senate President, David Mark.
The crisis escalated into litigation, leading the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw recognition of the party’s leadership structure and delisted names associated with the Mark-led faction from its portal.
Bala, on September 2, 2025, filed a suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025) at a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to stop Mark’s allies from parading themselves as National Working Committe (NWC) members. He also asked the court to compel INEC to recognise him as acting national chairman of ADC.
Credit: Leadership