Vice President Kashim Shettima has mocked the African Democratic Congress over its online membership registration, saying that it has been inundated with fake identities.

He also taunted the opposition party over its longstanding demand for real-time electronic transmission of election results.

PUNCH Online reports that the ADC had, on March 1, commenced online membership registration nationwide ahead of the 2027 general election, in compliance with the amended Electoral Act.

The party also instructed existing members to update and revalidate their details in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, the registration exercise has been marred by several incorrect details, including fake names, National Identification Numbers and mismatched photographs, raising concerns about the integrity of the process.

In a statement on Tuesday, the party said it had corrected observed anomalies on its digital membership registration platform following widespread reports of fake entries.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interfaith breaking of fast attended by federal ministers and hosted by President Bola Tinubu, Shettima claimed that the party’s registration portal had been overwhelmed by fictitious entries.

“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 accused the opposition of peddling falsehoods and spreading misinformation about the policies of the Tinubu administration.

“You and I know that, as Winston Churchill once said, ‘truth is so precious that it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies’. Lies, lies, lies — that is what is driving the opposition in this country,” he said.

Shettima also called on political officeholders to defend the policies and achievements of the current administration as the next election cycle approaches.

“Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, 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,” he said.

The former Governor of Borno State added that the ruling party is now in a stronger position than it was during the 2023 general election.

“Politically speaking, we are in a more comfortable position now than in 2023,” he said.

Shettima further dismissed claims that state governors were being pressured to defect to the ruling party.

“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

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The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) on Wednesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to prioritise restoring public trust in the electoral process, insisting that internal party disputes are not the major cause of voter apathy in the country.

The National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja, reacting to recent concerns raised by the electoral umpire over the impact of internal wranglings within political parties on its operations.

Johnson acknowledged that legal battles arising from party disputes often drag INEC into court as a necessary party, thereby placing administrative pressure on the commission.

“It is, in a sense, understandable that INEC complains about the disturbances caused by internal party disputes.

“Because the commission is often joined as a necessary party in these suits, it inevitably drains their time and resources,” Johnson stated.

However, he argued that the more pressing challenge confronting Nigeria’s democracy is what he described as a deepening crisis of public confidence in the electoral system.

“While administrative hurdles are real, I strongly urge the INEC Chairman to recognise a far more dangerous reality.

“The greatest cause of voter apathy in Nigeria is not internal party friction; it is the widespread perception that INEC is complicit in subverting the will of the people,” Johnson remarked.

He added, “A large percentage of the voting public remains convinced that the system is rigged and that their ballots do not count. This crisis of confidence is the primary driver of voter apathy.

“Until INEC demonstrates absolute transparency and proves it is an unbiased arbiter, no amount of internal party stability will bring Nigerians back to the polling units.”

The NNPP maintained that while political parties must strengthen internal democracy and reduce avoidable litigation, INEC must “take a hard look in the mirror” and implement reforms capable of restoring the sanctity of the vote.

The party’s position comes hours after INEC announced the commencement of a review of the 2022 edition of its regulations and guidelines for political parties as part of efforts to enhance integrity and transparency in the electoral process.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in his keynote address at a technical workshop on the revision of the commission’s regulations and guidelines for political parties held in Ikot Ekpene on Wednesday.

Amupitan stressed the need to harmonise existing guidelines with the recently enacted Electoral Act 2026, noting that the commission was moving beyond the 2022 framework to address what he described as the sanitisation of political party operations.

He called on stakeholders at the workshop to ensure that the review process reflects the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians and strengthens the country’s democratic process.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has raised the alarm over what it called ‘unnecessary litigation’ with billions of naira already expended, as well as internal leadership crises rocking political parties, saying the situation is threatening its commitment to democratic consolidation in the country.

The chairman of the Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, raised the concern at the Technical Workshop on Revision of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for political parties, organised by the commission in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday.

Amupitan lamented that rather than being used as vehicles for national transformations, political parties are currently witnessing a disturbing trend of leadership squabbles and infighting that threaten to turn them into theatres of permanent strife.

He noted that a day spent in defending these intra-party disputes in court is a day diverted from the primary mandate of election planning.

He said, ”Our collective commitment is being challenged by leadership squabbles and judicialised politics. In the last cycle alone, INEC was joined in scores of suits that could have been avoided by simple adherence to party constitutions. As an Independent body, we remain neutral, but we are no longer passive observers.

”Political parties in Nigeria face the crisis of internal democracy. Of grave concern is the quality of party primaries. As we move towards the primary window of April 23 to May 30, 2026, we must enforce a level playing field. The quality of internal party democracy has a direct bearing on the secondary election conducted by INEC.

”We are currently witnessing a disturbing trend of leadership squabbles and infighting that threaten to turn political parties into theatres of permanent strife rather than vehicles for national development.

”These frequent leadership tussles do more than just dilute party ideologies; they spill over into our courtrooms, resulting in a deluge of unnecessary litigations where INEC is routinely joined as a party.

”Each day spent defending these intra-party disputes is a day diverted from our primary mandate of election planning.”

He expressed confidence that the workshop will systematically analyse the key provisions of the new Electoral Act and identify the necessary amendments to the existing regulations and guidelines for political parties.

Delivering his goodwill message, the Country Director, Westminster Foundation for Democracy Mr. Adebowale Olorunmola, explained the need for the guidelines and regulations to also be improved in order to give bite to the electoral act, hence there are some changes in the passage and assent of the new Electoral Act

He said, ”The 2022 edition of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines served us well in the conduct of the 2023 general elections and other subsequent elections. However, “current realities” are no longer what they were four years ago. Today, we are tasked with bridging the gap between the letter of the 2026 Act and the practical, day-to-day operations of our political parties”

Earlier in the welcome remarks, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Obo Efanga, described the workshop as strategic and significant, noting that the review and updating of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022, could not have come at a better time than now.

While noting that the workshop is designed to consider the implications of Electoral Act 2026 on its Regulations and Guidelines for various electoral activities, Efanga, said however that it is not a coincidence that the first Regulations and Guidelines to be reviewed is the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022 because, according to him, the document regulates the registration, statutory compliance, administration, conduct as well as the monitoring of political parties and all their activities.

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