The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the circulation of a fake membership card allegedly bearing the image of a notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, describing the move as a desperate ploy to tarnish the party’s image.
In a statement issued on Monday in Gusau, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Malam Yusuf Idris, said the card was clearly forged and linked the act to mischievous elements who are uncomfortable with the smooth progress of the party’s ongoing electronic membership registration.
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Idris said the doctored card was easily detectable, noting that even the man on the street could spot the discrepancies.
He said, “This was carried out by mischievous elements who are not happy with the smooth, successful and coordinated manner in which the ongoing e-registration of members is going in the state.
“Even to the man on the street, the forgery is detectable right from the card in which there’s the emboldened ‘26’ on the date referred to the 26th day of January.
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“Similarly, the photograph of the hardened criminal used on the card is his picture, popularly known by both security agencies and Nigerians in general.”
The spokesman further explained that Turji, who has no National Identification Number (NIN), could not have been captured in the APC registration database.
He said, “No person can be duly registered without a NIN number, which Turji doesn’t have.
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“Before any person is enrolled by NIMC, he must fill out a form that contains his full information before he is captured. How then could NIMC capture him with a military uniform and gun on his shoulders?”
He pointed out that the registration ID code ‘26’ on the card is meant for Niger State, not Zamfara, which uses code ‘36’, a clear indication that the card was a botched forgery.
Idris alleged that preliminary investigations had linked the card to Babangida Aliyu Shinkafi (Waziri), a known associate of Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi and a recently suspended APC member.
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“The forgery is linked to him because it first appeared on his Facebook page,” Idris said.
He maintained that the party had reported the incident to security agencies and expressed confidence that the culprit would be arrested and prosecuted soon.
The party urged the public to disregard the fake membership card bearing registration number ID: APC 261113000102, reiterating that the APC in Zamfara remains committed to a transparent and credible e-registration exercise.
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“We therefore call on the well-meaning citizens to disregard the card while the investigation into the fabricators is being conducted,” Idris said.