Ololade Adeyanju/
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 taking up any role in the party.
The clarification follows claims by a civil society group, Nigeria Democratic Rights Advocacy (NDRA), which alleged that Egwuaba was simultaneously listed as National Legal Adviser in both APM and NDC, raising concerns of a breach of the Electoral Act.
Responding in a post on X, the NDC said there was “no discrepancy of membership or legal issues,” attributing the confusion to what it described as a failure by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to update its records.
According to the party, Egwuaba formally resigned his membership of APM and his position as National Legal Adviser in December 2025, well before any association with the NDC.
To support its position, the NDC shared a copy of a resignation letter dated December 4, 2025, addressed to the National Chairman of APM.
The document shows that the resignation took effect from December 10, 2025 and was duly acknowledged by the party on December 5, 2025.
In the letter, Egwuaba wrote that his decision followed “careful and considered reflection, guided by my professional obligations and present priorities,” adding that it had been “a distinct honour to serve” the party since joining in 2019.
He also expressed appreciation to the party’s leadership, including its National Working Committee and National Executive Committee, for the confidence reposed in him during his tenure.
The NDC maintained that the existence of the resignation letter, along with its formal acknowledgment, invalidates any claim of dual membership.
“The issue is purely administrative,” the party stated, noting that INEC’s public portal may not always reflect real-time updates of party officials or membership changes.
Under Section 77 of Nigeria’s Electoral Act, membership of more than one political party at the same time is prohibited, with penalties including fines and possible imprisonment.
However, establishing a violation requires clear evidence of overlapping membership within the same period.
INEC has, in previous instances, acknowledged delays or discrepancies in the updating of party records on its website, often advising stakeholders to rely on officially submitted documents and correspondences for verification.
Despite the NDC’s clarification, NDRA had earlier called for an investigation, describing the situation as a “serious legal contradiction” with potential constitutional implications.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC has not issued an official statement specifically addressing the discrepancy involving Egwuaba.
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