The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has dismissed as fake a party membership card allegedly belonging to notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, describing it as a deliberate act of mischief aimed at tarnishing the image of the party and undermining its ongoing e-registration exercise.

The party’s spokesperson in the state, Yusuf Idris, made this known on Monday in a statement made available to journalists, following the circulation of the purported APC membership card on social media.

Idris said the party discovered that the card, which bears the name and photograph of Bello Turji, was forged and did not originate from the APC or its authorised registration process.

According to him, the development was the handiwork of individuals uncomfortable with the “smooth, successful and coordinated” conduct of the APC’s electronic registration of members across Zamfara State.

“This was carried out by mischievous elements who are unhappy with the orderly and transparent manner in which the ongoing e-registration exercise is taking place in the state,” Idris said.

He explained that the forgery was easily detectable, even to the average observer, pointing out several inconsistencies on the card.

“Even to the man on the street, the forgery is easily noticeable from the card itself. For instance, the bold ‘26’ on the date, purportedly referring to January 26, immediately raises suspicion.

“Also, the photograph used on the card is a widely circulated image of the hardened criminal, well known to security agencies and Nigerians in general. Such an image could not have been used in any legitimate registration process,” he added.

The APC spokesman further stated that no individual could be registered as a party member without a valid National Identification Number, stressing that Turji does not possess one.

“No person can be duly registered without a National Identification Number, which Turji does not have. This alone exposes the ignorance of the mischief-makers and renders their efforts futile, as APC registration procedures are largely flawless,” Idris said.

He also noted that enrolment by the National Identity Management Commission requires the completion of detailed personal forms before biometric capture, making it impossible for someone in military attire and armed, as depicted in the photograph, to be registered.

“How then could NIMC capture someone wearing a military uniform and carrying a gun on his shoulders? Such features are unacceptable and completely outside standard registration protocols,” he said.

Idris added that records from the ongoing e-registration exercise in Kware Ward showed no membership identification number beginning with the code ‘26’, which he explained belongs to Niger State, not Zamfara State.

“From our records of today’s registration in Kware Ward, there is no ID number with the initial code ‘26’. That code is designated for Niger State but was falsely used on a Zamfara membership card, not to mention the wrong name and other discrepancies,” he said.

He disclosed that preliminary investigations had linked the forged card to Babangida Aliyu Shinkafi, also known as Waziri, an associate of Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, who was recently suspended from participating in the e-registration exercise over alleged dubious activities.

“The forgery is linked to him because the fake card first appeared on his Facebook page,” Idris added.

The APC spokesman stressed that the party’s e-registration coordination team in Zamfara State had completely dissociated itself from the forged membership card, which bears the registration number ID APC 261113000102.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Zamfara State APC membership cards begin with the code ‘36’, not ‘26’. This clearly exposes the ignorance and intent of the perpetrators,” he said.

Idris urged members of the public to disregard the fake card and ignore attempts to associate the APC with criminal elements.

He added that the matter had been reported to security agencies for investigation, expressing confidence that those behind the forgery would be brought to justice.

“We are confident that the perpetrators will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” he said.