The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday has raised alarm over fake campaign posters carrying the image of former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and asked the public, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, to ignore a political fraud ahead of future elections.
The party in a press statement issued on Saturday said posters showing Jonathan either alone or alongside other prominent Nigerians as possible running mates had appeared on social media and were being shared widely.
The PDP drew attention to what it believes may be a deeper plot involving the use of Jonathan’s personal details in the membership records of other political parties.
The party said the posters falsely presented Jonathan as a member of different political parties, with several party logos placed on the materials to support the claim.
READ RELATED STORY
PDP distances itself from Wike remarks
PDP tells Nigerians to ignore Wike’s ‘Political Swan Song’
It was also noted that Jonathan remains a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
Jonathan, according to the statement, personally completed his membership registration in his ward during the party’s recently concluded digital registration exercise.
The PDP said this was confirmed by Jonathan himself during a meeting with members of the Interim National Working Committee held a day earlier.
“This clarification has become necessary in view of the provisions of the extant Electoral Act, under which double registration is not only prohibited but also punishable,” the statement said.
The party also warned that those behind the posters may not stop at online propaganda.
It said, “We are aware that mischief makers may not only design and circulate fake campaign posters, but may also, in concert with highly placed collaborators, attempt to input the details of President Jonathan and other prominent members of our party and the opposition movement into the databases of different political parties.”
The PDP said it was formally putting the public and the Independent National Electoral Commission on notice over what it called “malfeasance.”
It added, “We therefore put the public, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, on notice of this malfeasance and urge them to discountenance any such fraudulent activity.”
