PDP Raises Alarm Over APC's Fake 28m Purported Membership Drive

As the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) membership registration enters its fourth day, the Peoples Democratic Party Friday accused the opposition party of planning to register 28 million phantom members, which it alleged APC was planning to use to claim victory in the 2015 general election.

PDP’s allegation is coming on the heels of a counter-allegation by APC that thugs working for the PDP have been disrupting its membership registration drive in Rivers State.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh made the alleged 28 million phantom membership registration of the APC at a press conference in Abuja.

He said the press conference was called to highlight what it described as a plot by the APC to use its current registration of members to “truncate the current democratic process”.

Metuh said: “Our investigations revealed that part of the plot by the APC is to use this fraudulent membership registration exercise to hype phantom public support, after which it will declare a particular bogus 28 million figure and create the false impression of massive public followership ahead of the 2015 general election.

“We wish to alert Nigerians therefore to the incontrovertible evidence at our disposal to the effect that the APC is sadly and currently using every foul means at its disposal to build a particular membership figure, running into tens of millions, which it intends to use as a justification to fault, dispute, reject and subsequently resort to violence when it loses the 2015 general election.

“This fraudulent membership figure, meant to create a non-existing mass followership is to be maniacally presented, projected and defended by the APC, using its well known unethically hypodermic propaganda tools as an anticipated real voters strength, below which it will carry out its threat to unleash mayhem on the nation as contained in its allegory of ‘the monkey, the baboon and blood’.”

The PDP further accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of aiding APC in the registration of the alleged phantom 28 million members on the grounds that “APC has been using INEC materials in the registration of its members”.

Metuh alleged: “The APC is colluding with INEC and also using its equipment and materials in the course of its registration of members. APC officials and members have been going round the wards and polling centres, using INEC polling locations and materials as well as lying to unsuspecting Nigerians that the party's membership registration is an INEC voter registration exercise for the 2015 elections. This is to hoodwink them into registering as members of APC.

“We wish to condemn this brazen hijack of INEC polling booths for a partisan membership registration. The unlawful use of INEC polling booths is a clear violation of laid down electoral norms and rules that safeguard their sanctity for the purpose of elections and against illegal conversion for partisan reasons.

“Indeed, we find it shocking and curious that INEC whose responsibility is to safeguard against this sort of aberration has not only kept mum as the APC fraudulently uses its name for this infamous agenda but has folded its hands in the face of this abuse and illegal conversion of its property, therefore raising suspicions of duplicity in this well-orchestrated design to sabotage the 2015 general election.

“The worst of all frauds, no doubt, is to cheat one’s self and the APC is irremediably a victim of this. By trying to build a phantom membership, the party forgot that no structure pivoted on sand can survive the pull of winds.

“They also forgot that the whirlwind of membership fraud they are attempting to sow will be bountifully rewarded with massive storm of electoral mishap.

“Though we are not surprised by the development, we did not however reckon that the desperation to grab power has taken this dimension so early in the day.”

But in a swift reaction, INEC debunked PDP’s claims that it was aiding APC, adding that the commission has no control over of public structures.

Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said the polling stations in question were public structures and “INEC does not have a monopoly or control over its use”.

He further admonished against dragging the commission into what he described as “political bickering”.