Fake registrations rock ADC portal, spark credibility storm ahead of 2027

2026-03-02 - 13:26

By Luminous Jannamike ABUJA – Nigerians have reportedly been flooding the membership registration portal of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with fake entries, raising fresh concerns about the credibility of the party’s digital membership drive. The development is putting the spotlight on whether the ADC’s technology-driven expansion can stand up to scrutiny at a time when political actors are under growing pressure to run transparent and verifiable systems. While critics warn that weak entry checks could erode trust in the party’s database, the ADC maintains that the online form is only the first step in a layered verification process. A senior ADC source who spoke to Vanguard, and the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Jackie Wayas, both addressed the controversy, insisting the system includes safeguards that will determine who ultimately qualifies as a member. Critics say the platform currently allows people to sign up using unverifiable names, photographs and even questionable National Identification Number details without immediate validation. They argue that the apparent gap could compromise the integrity of the party’s membership records if not properly tightened. The concerns are emerging as the ADC pushes ahead with its free nationwide online membership registration, a move the party says is key to its preparations for the 2027 general elections and its forthcoming congresses and conventions. According to the party, the digital platform is intended to meet the requirements of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates political parties to maintain a digital membership register. The ADC also said manual registration is continuing across the country, while existing members are expected to revalidate their information on the new system. “I’m honestly not surprised that some APC loyalists are trying to turn the ADC membership registration into a joke. We expected this kind of reaction once it became clear the exercise is moving forward,” the source said. The senior party figure described the backlash as politically driven and argued that fears about fake entries are being exaggerated. “Anybody who thinks there won’t be internal checks later simply doesn’t understand how this works. The online form is just the first step,” the source added. He said the party had already reviewed the early phase of the exercise and introduced improvements to strengthen the process. “After looking at how the process went yesterday, we’ve made some adjustments. It will now take about a week to issue membership cards, and during that period every piece of information submitted will be carefully verified before any card is released,” he said. In the same vein, the party’s Deputy Spokesperson, Jackie Wayas also stressed that physical screening remains a key part of the authentication chain. “Let us note this important information at the back of the online membership cards. This is where you are authenticated. In person authentication (at the ward level),” she clarified.