Kashim Shettima has ridiculed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over alleged irregularities in the party’s online membership registration system, claiming the portal has been flooded with fake names and fictitious identities.
The Vice President made the remarks during an interfaith breaking of fast hosted by Bola Ahmed Tinubu and attended by several ministers and political figures in Abuja.
Shettima’s comments followed the ADC’s launch of a nationwide digital membership registration exercise on March 1 ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party had introduced the online system to enable both new and existing members to register, update, and revalidate their details in compliance with provisions of the amended Electoral Act and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, the process has reportedly been plagued by multiple irregularities, including the appearance of fake names, incorrect National Identification Numbers, and mismatched photographs on the platform.
Mocking the development, Shettima criticised the opposition party for insisting on electronic transmission of election results while allegedly failing to maintain the integrity of its own digital membership system.
“The same Alliance for Democratic Confusion that was adamant that we must have electronic transmission of votes opened their portal for membership registration, and it was overwhelmed by an avalanche of fake names and fictitious identities,” he said.
The Vice President also accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation about the policies and programmes of the current administration.
Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Shettima said, “Truth is so precious that it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies,” adding that false narratives have become a major strategy of the opposition.
He urged political officeholders to actively defend the policies and achievements of the current government as the country gradually approaches another election cycle.
“The political season is around the corner. We are all political actors. We have to sell our government. We have to stand behind our administration,” Shettima stated.
The Vice President further claimed that the ruling party is now in a stronger political position than it was during the 2023 general election.
According to him, recent political realignments and developments indicate growing confidence in the government’s policies.
Shettima also dismissed allegations that state governors were being pressured to defect to the ruling party, insisting that any political movement toward the party was voluntary.
“Nobody is coercing the governors of Rivers, Delta, Kano or any other state to join the APC. It is of their own volition because they have seen the light,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ADC earlier acknowledged technical issues affecting its digital membership portal, stating that anomalies observed in the system had been corrected following reports of fake entries.
The party maintained that the platform remains an important step toward modernising political party administration and strengthening internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
PUNCH