The Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, and Allied Peoples Movement, APM, might be hit by a fresh crisis as its National Legal Adviser, Barr. Reuben Egwuaba, allegedly holds dual membership in both opposition parties.
In a document seen by DAILY POST at the weekend, Egwuaba holds the position in both parties, according to records with the Independent National Electoral Commission. The development, according to electoral reform advocates, runs contrary to the country’s revised Electoral Act.
Checks by DAILY POST on the INEC website, www.inecnigeria.org, confirm that Egwuaba is listed as the National Legal Adviser for both APM and NDC.
Reacting, activist Julius Aondowase, in a statement on Sunday, said Egwuaba’s dual membership is not a clerical oversight. It is a serious legal contradiction with far reaching implications.
“By virtue of the amended electoral provisions, particularly the modification of Section 77, belonging to more than one political party at the same time is expressly prohibited. The law is clear and uncompromising: any individual found guilty of dual party membership is liable to a fine of up to ₦10 million and or a prison term of up to two years.
“The position of National Legal Adviser is not symbolic; it is a core office within a party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which requires full and exclusive membership of that party. Therefore, occupying this role in both the APM and NDC simultaneously is not only politically improper. It constitutes prima facie evidence of dual membership and a potential criminal offence under Nigerian law.
“This situation demands urgent clarification from all parties involved. If these records are accurate, then this is a clear violation of the law. If they are not, then the public deserves an immediate correction and explanation as to how such conflicting information came to be officially documented.
“Therefore, I call on relevant authorities, including electoral regulators, to investigate this matter without delay and take appropriate action in line with the law.
“Nigeria’s democracy must be governed by rules, not convenience,” he said.
The development comes as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governors of Anambra and Kano states, defected to NDC.
