The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) War Room has fact checked claims that Prof. Rhoda Gumus, INEC National Commissioner overseeing Edo State’s election, is an APC member.
The allegations, which spread on X (formerly Twitter) on September 21, 2024, included an image purporting to be Prof. Gumus’s APC membership card. This raised concerns about electoral impartiality.
The CDD War Room’s investigation revealed Prof. Gumus was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari and confirmed by the Senate on February 2, 2022.
Her appointment faced criticism due to alleged APC membership.
The CDD found discrepancies in the membership card, including:
Inconsistent Titling: Prof. Gumus’s title is included, unlike standard APC membership cards.
Typographical Differences: Text formatting and capitalization discrepancies in the ‘Sign / Thumb Print’ section.
Background Color Variation: Authentic APC cards have a white background, whereas the circulated card has a blue background.
APC officials in Bayelsa State also debunked the membership card, stating Prof. Gumus’s name isn’t on the party’s membership register.
The CDD War Room concluded that Prof. Rhoda Gumus is not an APC member, affirming the circulated membership card is fake.
