From Joseph Asegba, Yola
In a stunning twist rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, prominent gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Maurice Vunobolki, has sensationally dumped the party, unleashing explosive allegations of a fraudulent membership registration plot designed to rig internal elections.
Vunobolki officially resigned on April 13, 2026, accusing top party figures of orchestrating a shady scheme in which innocent citizens’ National Identification Numbers (NINs) were allegedly hijacked without their consent to create thousands of “ghost” members.
He alleged that the scam was most blatant in Yola North, where bloated and fake figures were being weaponised to artificially inflate delegate strength and hijack the upcoming congresses.
Speaking to journalists, the former APC heavyweight declared that this dirty tactic has destroyed the party’s internal democracy and shattered any claim to transparency.
“The very foundation of our political structure, credible membership data has been poisoned to serve the selfish interests of a few,” Vunobolki said.
He revealed that he joined the APC in February 2026 with a massive wave of supporters from all 21 local government areas, lured by promises of fairness, a level playing field, and genuine participation.
However, those assurances quickly faded as evidence mounted of a calculated plan to manipulate the system from within.
Vunobolki further alleged that the committee overseeing the congress process was stacked with loyalists of “anointed” aspirants, turning the entire exercise into a predetermined coronation rather than a genuine contest.
He drew a sharp parallel to his bitter 2019 experience, where similar internal “arrangements” sidelined him despite fulfilling all requirements.
“Now they’re back with a more dangerous digital twist, phantom entries and manipulated registers,” he warned.
After wide consultations with key stakeholders and political allies who shared his concerns, Vunobolki made the difficult decision to exit the party.
He urged all his supporters to withdraw immediately, insisting that remaining in a rigged system would only legitimise undemocratic practices.
While he kept his next political move under wraps, Vunobolki made it clear that his future political path would be built on credibility, transparency, and the true will of the people, not backroom deals.
He also called for sweeping reforms across Nigeria’s political parties, warning that allowing such “dubious tendencies” to persist could erode public trust in elections and weaken democratic institutions.
The APC in Adamawa has received a major wake-up call.
All efforts to get a response to the allegations from the APC or the state government met a brick wall, despite several attempts to reach them before the time of filing this report.