NDC Dismisses Dual Membership Claim, Blames INEC’s Poor Record Keeping For Shared Legal Adviser With APM On Portal
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed allegations of dual party membership involving its National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, insisting that he resigned from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) months before joining the party.
The clarification follows claims by the Nigeria Democratic Rights Advocacy (NDRA), which alleged that Egwuaba held positions in both APM and NDC simultaneously, raising concerns over a possible breach of the Electoral Act.
Reacting in a post on X, the NDC said there was no discrepancy, attributing the issue to what it described as INEC’s failure to update its records.
According to the party, Egwuaba resigned his membership of APM and his position as National Legal Adviser in December 2025, before any association with the NDC.
The party also released a resignation letter dated December 4, 2025, addressed to the National Chairman of APM. The letter shows the resignation took effect from December 10, 2025, and was acknowledged by APM on December 5, 2025.
In the letter, Egwuaba said his decision followed “careful and considered reflection, guided by my professional obligations and present priorities,” and noted it had been “a distinct honour” to serve the party since 2019. He also thanked the party’s leadership for the confidence reposed in him.
The NDC said the resignation document and its acknowledgment address the allegation of dual membership, describing it as an administrative issue.
It added that INEC’s portal may not always reflect updated records of party officials or membership changes.
Section 77 of the Electoral Act prohibits membership of more than one political party at the same time, with penalties including fines and imprisonment. However, establishing a violation requires proof of overlapping membership within the same period.
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INEC has previously acknowledged delays in updating its records online, advising stakeholders to rely on official submissions for verification.
