Nafiu Bala, a politician from Gombe State, has recently drawn attention following the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The 35-year-old politician, who claims to be the national chairman of the ADC, has been at the centre of disagreements within the party over its leadership structure and internal processes.
Nafiu Bala was born in Nassarawo Ward in Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State, where he spent most of his early years.
Residents of the Nassarawo area of the Gombe metropolis told Daily Trust that Bala attended Nassarawo Primary School and later proceeded to Nassarawo Junior Secondary School.
He later enrolled at Government Day Technical College (Vocational), Gombe, where he obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) in 2010.
Following his secondary education, Bala furthered his studies at A.D. Rufai College for Legal and Islamic Studies, Misau, Bauchi State, where he obtained a Diploma in Law in 2012.
After completing his education, Bala reportedly worked mainly as a volunteer in private law firms in Gombe, gaining experience in legal practice
His involvement in legal work later intersected with his growing interest in politics.
Bala began his political journey as a member of the now-defunct Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).
The party was formed by Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State.
After spending a brief period in the DPP, Bala later moved to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
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He eventually joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where his political career began to gain more visibility.
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Under the ADC platform, Bala contested in the 2023 Gombe State governorship election.
However, he was defeated alongside other candidates by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite the defeat, Bala challenged the election results at the election petition tribunal and pursued the case through the legal system.
According to Mustapha Hadi, an ADC member in Gombe, Bala pursued the case through several legal stages.
“After he lost the governorship election in 2023, he challenged the outcome of the election from the tribunal up to the Supreme Court, where he eventually lost,” Hadi said.
He added that the prolonged legal battle brought Bala national attention within the party.
A relative of Bala, who requested anonymity, described the politician as someone who rose from a humble background.
The relative said Bala became more prominent after the 2023 elections.
“I have known Nafiu Bala since his early childhood. He comes from a very humble background. But after the 2023 elections he started acting big and even relocated his wife to Kaduna while he stays in Abuja,” the relative told Daily Trust.
He also recalled that during a recent Sallah celebration, Bala reportedly returned to Gombe with a convoy of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) accompanied by security escorts.
In an interview, Bala dismissed allegations that his faction of the ADC was being sponsored by elements within the ruling APC to disrupt the party’s coalition plans.
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He described the accusations as baseless.
“This is a baseless allegation. How can I be accused of that? You came to my party and accused me of being sponsored to destroy it,” Bala said.
He insisted that he had been a card-carrying member of the ADC for about 10 years and questioned attempts to push him out of the party.
Bala argued that according to the ADC constitution, he should have assumed the role of acting national chairman following the resignation of Ralph Nwosu.
He said his position as Deputy National Chairman automatically placed him in line to lead the party.
“Since Ralph Nwosu resigned, Nafiu Bala as a deputy national chairman constitutionally is supposed to be the acting national chairman from that very day up to today,” he said.
Bala added that his disagreement with other leaders in the party was not personal but related to procedural issues.
“We are not saying we don’t like David Mark. We are not saying we are not going to work with them. But we are telling them the process and the way they entered the party is faulty,” he said.
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