By Ragan M. Conteh

On Thursday, May 22, 2025 during a press conference held at the All People’s Congress (APC) headquarters on Old Railway Line, Freetown, APC Secretary-General Lansana Dumbuya addressed serious concerns regarding the forging of old APC membership ID cards. He detailed how the party uncovered attempts to undermine the party’s new membership registration system by producing counterfeit cards.

Dumbuya explained that the party’s database had long existed but was previously vulnerable to manipulation. With the new digital registration system in place, complete with secure ID cards embedded with QR codes and a multi-layered cloud-based verification system, those seeking to bypass party procedures have resorted to recreating outdated ID templates.

He recounted how IT personnel discovered a counterfeit card being printed at a shop on Brook Street, which led to an investigation involving multiple individuals.

The counterfeit effort was allegedly linked to someone attempting to use a forged APC card to seek asylum abroad.

Dumbuya emphasized that the new registration system is secure, tamper-proof, and immune to duplication. Over 18 million hacking attempts have reportedly been blocked by the system, which now verifies identity against a centralized and redundant database.

He also clarified that old membership cards are no longer valid for voting or verification, as many were found to be duplicated and unreliable.

In a stern warning, he urged APC members and the public to desist from forging party documents and reiterated that only those registered through the new system are recognized as legitimate party members. He assured that the party is committed to transparency and fairness, and that anyone attempting to undermine the process would be dealt with accordingly.

Dumbuya also called on the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) to take note of the situation and ensure that only legitimate members with valid credentials participate in upcoming party activities.