Who Is Nafiu Bala?

Nafiu Bala was born in Nassarawo Ward in Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State, some 35 years ago, Daily Trust gathered.

Although details about his early childhood and education remain sketchy, his neighbours at the Nassarawo area of Gombe metropolis said Bala attended the Nassarawo Primary and Junior Secondary School, and later proceeded to the Government Day Technical College, (Vocational), Gombe, where he obtained Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) in 2010.

He later proceeded to AD Rufai College for Legal and Islamic Studies, Misau, Bauchi State, where he obtained a Diploma in Law, in 2012.

He worked mostly as a volunteer in private law firms in Gombe, before he reportedly joined partisan politics as a member of the defunct Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), a party formed by the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa.

After a brief stint in the party, he was said to have moved to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), before he later moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Under the ADC, he contested for the governorship seat of Gombe State in the 2023 general elections, and was defeated alongside other candidates by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A stalwart of the ADC in Gombe, Mustapha Hadi, told Daily Trust that Bala’s political prominence grew further following his participation in the 2023 governorship election, which he contested vigorously and later challenged at the election petition tribunal.

“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 said Bala’s prolonged legal battles over the election outcome brought him national attention and eventually positioned him within the national structure of the ADC.

Also, a relative of Nafiu Bala, who craved anonymity, told Daily Trust that the embattled politician comes from a very humble background.

“I have known Nafiu Bala since his early childhood. He comes from a very humble background. He joined politics some years back. But he was not a bigtime politician. However, after the 2023 elections he started acting big and even relocated his wife to Kaduna, while he is staying in Abuja.

“Also, during the recent Sallah celebration, Bala came to Gombe with a large convoy of SUVs, accompanied by security escorts and other paraphernalia,” he said.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Nafiu Bala denied allegations that his faction of the ADC is being sponsored or influenced by elements within the ruling APC, to derail the ADC’s coalition project.

“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. I am a card-carrying member of the ADC, and I have been in the party for about 10 years now. And now you just come in and want to push me out?

“In fact, they are not even in the right position to make such allegations because, as far as the party’s constitution is concerned, they are not members. They came to destroy our party and are still complaining that I am the one being sponsored to destroy my own party? This is a baseless and unfounded allegation,” Bala said.

Bala, who claims to be the national chairman of the ADC, said what he wants to achieve is for the constitution of the African Democratic Congress to be respected by people who wish to join the party.

“So, if David Mark wants us to resolve this issue, 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.

“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, the way, they entered the party is faulty.”(daily trust)