By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has taken a swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), mocking the opposition party over its troubled online membership registration exercise while using the platform to defend the government’s position on electronic transmission of election results.
Speaking at an interfaith Iftar hosted by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Shettima ridiculed the ADC for launching a portal that was immediately overwhelmed by what he described as fictitious entries.
“The same Alliance for Democratic Confusion that was adamant that we must have electronic transmission of votes opened their portal for membership registration, and it was overwhelmed by an avalanche of fake names and fictitious identities,” he said.
The Vice-President argued that the opposition’s insistence on electronic transmission of results stands at odds with its inability to manage its own digital infrastructure. He accused opposition elements of building their political strategy around falsehood, quoting Winston Churchill: “Truth is so precious that it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.”
Shettima further charged political officeholders to step up their defence of the Tinubu administration’s record as the 2027 election cycle draws closer.
“Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the political season is around the corner. We are all political actors. We have to sell our government. We have to stand behind our administration,” he said.
On the political front, the Vice-President declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is in a far stronger position than it was in 2023. He dismissed speculation that governors from opposition parties are being forced to defect, insisting their moves are voluntary.
“Nobody is coercing the governors of Rivers, Delta, Kano or any other state to join the APC. It is of their own volition because they have seen the light,” he added.
The ADC had opened its online membership registration portal on March 1 in line with the Electoral Act, positioning itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
