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A fresh political controversy has emerged following the circulation of a purported Action Democratic Party, ADP, membership card allegedly belonging to a governorship aspirant of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Mohammed Kpautagi in Niger State, an allegation his campaign team has firmly dismissed as a coordinated smear campaign.
A statement signed by Saidu Gwarjiko on behalf of Kpautagi’s media campaign team in Minna described the document, dated April 29, 2026, as “completely fabricated and politically motivated,” accusing unnamed actors of attempting to manipulate public perception and weaken Kpautagi’s growing political traction.
The team insisted that Dr Kpautagi has never been a member of the ADP, stressing that the claim is not only false but carefully orchestrated to create confusion around his political identity.
“This is not politics; it is outright deception. The so-called membership card is fake, the claim is baseless, and the intention is to distract and discredit,” the statement stated
Reaffirming his position, the campaign stated that Kpautagi remains a committed governorship aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, ADC, where he has built what it described as a solid and growing political structure and has no affiliation, direct or indirect association with the ADP.
The statement argued that linking the aspirant to another party at this stage is a sign of panic among opponents.
“You don’t fabricate stories about a candidate who is irrelevant. This smear tells its own story that Kpautagi is a force they can no longer ignore,” Gwarjiko added.
While condemning the spread of the alleged card, the campaign urged supporters to stay focused and not fall for what it called “cheap political distractions.”
It further insisted that no amount of propaganda would slow Kpautagi’s momentum, insisting that the attempt to associate him with the ADP has instead exposed “the level of desperation in the political space.”
ADP card scandal: Desperate plot to tarnish Kpautagi’s governorship bid – ADC
