In 2027, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is being urged to set clear rules for party membership to prevent false claims that could harm the nation’s democracy. This call comes from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which is concerned about fake membership numbers.
George Ashiru, the Lagos State Public Affairs Officer of IPAC, spoke to Newsmen in Lagos on Thursday. He was reacting to a statement made by Senator Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who admitted that the party’s claim of having 45 million members before the 2023 elections was false.
Basiru, speaking at a workshop in Abuja, revealed that the fake number was used for undisclosed purposes by the party’s former leaders. He pointed out that the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, who is now president, received less than 10 million votes in the 2023 elections, showing the claim was exaggerated.
Ashiru condemned the false claims and emphasized the need for INEC to set minimum standards for party membership to ensure transparency. He said, “So, it is not proper; it is not acceptable and no political party should get away with such falsehood.”
He suggested that INEC should establish clear criteria for party membership to avoid misleading figures. Ashiru explained that accurate membership registers are crucial for democracy and ensuring fair competition among parties. He also noted that other big parties, like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have made similar false claims about their size.
According to Ashiru, fake membership numbers submitted to INEC by political parties harm the democratic process. He stressed that it is essential for INEC to verify the true members of each party to maintain fairness in elections.
Ashiru proposed that INEC could use National Identification Numbers (NIN) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) to verify party membership. He highlighted that genuine membership data is important for understanding how parties can raise funds and how many people will vote for them.