Ralph Nwosu, founder and pioneer national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has alleged that Nafiu Bala, a former deputy national chairman of the party, went from requesting N50,000 transport fares to meetings in Abuja to moving around in bulletproof sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Nwosu made the allegation during an interview on Wednesday with Lagos Talks, claiming that Bala’s lifestyle changed significantly after he approached the court over the party’s leadership dispute in September 2025.
According to the ADC founder, Bala subsequently began staying in an expensive hotel, travelling with security personnel and using more than three bulletproof SUVs.
“This Bala, he went to court in September; we concluded the process in July, and from that September, he started living in one of the biggest hotels; he started moving around with security. He got bulletproof SUVs, more than three, moving with security,” he said.
Asked whether Bala could have acquired the vehicles because of concerns about his safety, Nwosu responded:
“Yeah, and then you can buy an SUV that is costing over N500 million. And so on?”
Nwosu further alleged that Bala previously depended on him and other party members for transport expenses whenever he was invited to meetings in Abuja.
“Before then, when I invite Bala for a meeting in Abuja, he cannot come until I send him either N50,000 to take a bus to come for a meeting, and so on. And he would not leave until we are able to also scratch out money to pay for his transport,” he said.
The ADC founder also accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of interfering in the party’s internal affairs, alleging that the leadership dispute was part of a broader attempt to weaken the opposition.
Nwosu claimed that the administration was interested in the party’s internal divisions and alleged that senior government officials had encouraged individuals to undermine the ADC.
“We have tapes where the chief of staff to the president was telling some people to stay in ADC and destroy it,” he said.
He maintained that the party had completed its internal leadership process in July 2025, before Bala instituted legal action in September of the same year.
Nwosu also alleged that the Tinubu administration was prepared to use financial inducements to weaken opposition figures and political parties.
“As far as the incumbent government is concerned, their philosophy is: if you give them N1 billion and they say no, you can top it to N10 billion until they are able to collapse,” he said.
He insisted that the alleged attempts to weaken his political resolve had failed, attributing the pressure surrounding the party to his refusal to give in.
“And they were not able to do it with this man — Ralph Okey Nwosu, and that is what is causing their pain and all they are doing. But I can assure you and all Nigerians, this will not succeed,” he said.
The allegations come against the backdrop of a prolonged leadership dispute within the ADC involving the faction led by former Senate President David Mark and Bala.
In September 2025, Bala approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to restrain Mark and other members of the party’s interim leadership from presenting themselves as its national officers.
The suit challenged the emergence of Mark as national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary following Nwosu’s departure from the position.
In a judgment delivered on November 5, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court nullified the Mark-led caretaker committee and invalidated its decisions.
The ruling also affected the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The court further ruled that a resignation letter allegedly signed by Bala did not constitute genuine proof that he had relinquished his position as deputy national chairman.
TheCable had earlier reported that the Mark-led ADC faction expelled Bala and other party members in April 2026 over alleged anti-party activities.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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