The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State has denied allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the ruling party is involved in producing fake membership cards ahead of the opposition party’s fresh governorship primary.
The PDP had alleged that about 20,000 fake membership cards were being produced in connection with its internal electoral process. However, the APC described the allegation as baseless and said it had no interest in interfering in the PDP’s internal affairs.
The position was contained in a statement issued by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Murtala Usman Wuro Tale, who said the party was focused on governing Gombe State, implementing development programmes and remaining accountable to residents.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the APC-led administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has absolutely no business with the internal affairs, membership administration or governorship primary of the PDP,” Wuro Tale said.
He maintained that the conduct of the PDP governorship primary was strictly the responsibility of the opposition party and its relevant organs. According to him, the APC would neither organise the exercise nor participate in the PDP’s internal disagreements.
The APC spokesman urged the PDP to concentrate on resolving its internal disputes and conducting a credible fresh governorship primary in line with the court’s directive, its constitution and applicable electoral requirements.
The party also asked the PDP to explain how it intended to address the issues arising from the legal challenge to its earlier governorship primary, rather than directing attention towards the ruling party.
The APC recalled that the PDP’s May 2026 governorship primary, which produced Professor Isa Ali Pantami as its candidate, was challenged in court. It said a Federal High Court in Gombe, in a September 24, 2026 judgment, nullified the process and ordered the conduct of a fresh primary.
Following the judgment, the PDP fixed Tuesday, September 29, for the fresh governorship primary in the state.
Against this backdrop, Wuro Tale advised the PDP to focus on complying with the court order and resolving outstanding issues surrounding its internal electoral process. He added that any evidence of fraudulent membership cards or interference should be presented to law-enforcement or regulatory authorities for investigation.
“Press statements and political allegations cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.
The APC further urged political parties in Gombe to conduct their activities within the law and engage voters on governance, policies and development issues.
It said the people of the state deserved political engagement based on facts and issues affecting their lives, adding that the APC-led administration would remain focused on governance and development rather than the internal affairs of another political party.
