The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the opposition to wake up to the reality in the electoral process where votes count and people’s will prevails.
It urged Nigerians to support the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to ensure credible elections.
The party asked the electorate to resist desperate politicians, who were bent on using illegal, undemocratic and sinister means to manipulate the coming poll.
APC said it had not opened any membership registration website for updating its membership register ahead of the primaries.
It asked members to disregard the website on the social media.
In a statement by the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the party said seizure of a Nigeria-bound ship carrying arms and explosives should be a wake-up call for security agents to be alert, as the elections approach.
The statement reads: “Ahead of the 2019 elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) urges the electorate to resist desperate politicians and their parties bent on deploying illegal, undemocratic and sinister means, including violence to manipulate elections.
“Our call came against the backdrop of the recent seizure of a Nigeria-bound ship detained in South Africa for carrying arms and explosives. Nigerians will also recall recent arms seizures by the Nigeria Customs Service.
“This is a red-flag security agencies must note and be alert to, as political activities heighten in the lead-up to the elections.
“We invite the opposition to wake up to new realities where votes count and the people’s will prevail in all elections. We also call on well-meaning Nigerians to support ongoing progressive efforts by the President Buhari-led APC administration to ensure that our elections are transparent, free, fair and credible.
“Finally, we call on the National Assembly to do the needful by reconvening, to consider and pass the 2019 election budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We condemn any attempt to weaken INEC ahead of the 2019 election.”
In another statement, APC disowned a purported registration portal opened for the purpose of fresh membership registration.
It accused an unnamed opposition party of opening the website to confuse its members.
The party said: “We alert our supporters, members and the public to a purported membership registration website of the All Progressives Congress (APC) — apcregistration.com.
“The website, which is trending on the social media, is unauthorised and a scam. Our investigation has revealed that the fake website is sponsored by one of the main opposition parties in its desperate and criminal plot to harvest APC members ahead of the 2019 general election.
“We have deliberately not named the party and hereby call on relevant security agencies to investigate the website and its sponsors.
“We urge our supporters and members to take advantage of the ongoing continuous nationwide membership registration exercise in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The exercise will include fresh registration and revalidation of existing membership for the issuance of the party’s permanent membership cards.”
