1
A pressure group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has alleged the illegal collection and misuse of National Identity Numbers (NIN) belonging to pensioners and students to fraudulently inflate party membership figures in Ilorin.
The group, led by its coordinator, Mr. Abdulganiyu Omowaye, made the allegation in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, warning that the practice poses grave legal, ethical and political consequences for both the party and the affected individuals.
Omowaye alleged that certain party operatives in Ilorin exploited databases belonging to civil servants and vulnerable groups, collecting their NINs under the guise of empowerment programmes and subsequently using the data for APC membership registration without their consent.
According to him, the scheme was allegedly designed to manipulate party records and create a false impression of widespread grassroots support in Kwara Central. “At my registration centre, some of our members came with their NINs only to be told by officials that their details had already been used,” Omowaye said.
“This experience was repeated by many others. When we traced the source of the problem, we discovered that their data had been collected earlier and used for party registration without their consent. This is not only theft; it is a criminal offence that must be punished.”
He further alleged that elderly citizens benefiting from the state’s social welfare scheme, popularly known as Owo Arugbo, were among those whose personal data were used without authorization. Students, he claimed, were also allegedly offered money to participate in what he described as a sham registration exercise.
Omowaye warned that the illegal political use of NINs exposes vulnerable citizens to identity theft, financial fraud and other security risks.
“Some members of the party in Kwara Central are forcefully collecting the NINs of pensioners and students to inflate membership figures. This is unacceptable and must be exposed by all well-meaning APC members,” he stated.
Beyond the alleged personal risk to affected individuals, the group said the manipulation of membership records could undermine the credibility of the APC as a democratic institution.
The pressure group called on the party’s national leadership to immediately investigate the claims, suspend the ongoing membership registration exercise in Kwara Central and reject any figures it described as inflated or misleading. “The leadership of the party must act swiftly to nip this in the bud.
Criminal acts are being committed under the guise of politics. This is the moment for the leadership to act decisively,” Omowaye added.
The group further alleged that the exercise was intended to artificially boost membership figures ahead of forthcoming party congresses and primaries in the state.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State chapter of the APC had not responded to the allegations.
