Arewa pressure group faults INEC over tendentious APC e-registration
A northern pressure group under the aegis of Arewa PDP support group has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allowing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to require the Voters’ Identification Numbers (VIN) of prospective members in its ongoing e-registration drive.
A statement by the national secretary of the group Hon. Desmond Minakaro said such desperate move is symptomatic of APCs whimsical desire to compromise the electoral system ahead of 2027 general elections.
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The pressure group then challenged the legality, propriety, and intent behind the inclusion of such sensitive electoral data in a partisan exercise especially in the face of INEC’s reticence and inaction to call APC to order, noting that Nigerians of good conscience will not allow that travesty to prevail.
In an interrogative expose, Minakaro said it is preposterous for INEC to allow APC to collect such sensitive information that may be use to subvert democratic processes and the free will of Nigerians by a political party.
“What exactly is the Voter Identification Number doing in APC’s membership registration? If the APC claims its e-registration is merely about party membership, why venture into the territory of electoral data managed by INEC?” he questioned.
Minakaro argued that the National Identification Number (NIN), which the APC reportedly also requests, should be sufficient to establish identity for party purposes.
According to him, demanding VIN goes beyond reasonable verification and ventures into a sensitive domain that should concern every well-meaning Nigerian.
“The information being demanded is too sensitive to be ignored. VIN is not a party document. It is an electoral instrument. Its use is strictly within the purview of INEC and for clearly defined electoral purposes,” he added.
The Arewa PDP Support Group noted that by allowing APC to demand such sensitive information, INEC’s risks losing its neutrality and public trust which are essential ingredients for satisfactory and acceptable elections.
Minakaro alleged that through that deliberate act of omission, INEC has willingly allowed itself to become an appendage of APC, warning that such stand could undermine confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Is INEC being positioned as a tool for one party’s advantage? The idea that the electoral umpire would allow itself to be used as a rigging machine is clearly manifesting. That posture is an ill wind that blows no good and a daydream taken too far,” he maintained.
Minakaro added that Nigerians would not accept what he described as a “seismic travesty,” insisting that the electorate must remain vigilant and unwilling to see democratic safeguards weakened.
The group called on INEC to publicly clarify the legal basis if any for permitting a political party to demand VIN from citizens.
He further urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to pay close attention to developments surrounding voter data and party activities.
“Youth must reject any plan, subtle or overt, to compromise the integrity of future elections,” he said.
He called on Nigerians not to allow democratic participation to be manipulated through data harvesting or opaque processes.
“Nigerians should be watchful. We suspect foul play, and suspicion thrives where transparency is absent,” he said.
