APC extends membership revalidation exercise

The All Progressives Congress (APC), on Sunday, announced the extension of its membership registration and revalidation exercise.

The exercise, which commenced in late January and originally scheduled to end on March 8, will now end on March 31.

The party interim National Secretary, John Udoedehe, in a statement, said the reason for the additional three weeks was to make up for the shortage of registration materials sent across the 36 states and to allow the accommodation of all prospective members.

“The feedback across the states have been overwhelming and beyond projected success level; with a massive turnout of intending registrants beyond the expectation of the party,” Mr Udoedehe said.

“This development is responsible for the shortage of registration materials recorded in many states across the country and thereby warranting an extension of the exercise to give every interested Nigerian the opportunity to officially identify with the ruling party, the APC.”

The party expressed satisfaction with the committee and other officials of the party supervising the exercise without reference to the complaints of irregularities and violence trailing the exercise in some states.

It said, “On behalf of the National Chairman Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, I wish to use this opportunity to appreciate the good works of His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state led Youth, Women Mobilisation and Persons with Disabilities’ Sensitisation Committee, The National Registration, Revalidation Committee led by Governor Sani Bello of Niger State, the states steering committees for the exercise and all party officials who have been both directly and indirectly involved in the exercise from the outset.”

Exercise trailed by irregularities, violence

The exercise has been trailed by complaints of irregularities in some states.

Against the earlier warnings of CECPC chair, there have been reports of intimidation and segregation of some members based on their allegiance to some leaders of the party.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported the violence that broke out between two factions of the APC in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara, at a meeting called in preparation for the exercise.

This was followed by the exchange of words between Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, and the party National Deputy spokesperson, Yekini Nabena.

While Mr Mohammed, a member of APC, had called for the cancelation of the exercise in Kwara over suspicion of irregularities, Mr Nabena, in a counter statement, berated the former, accusing the minister of insubordination to the leadership of the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Similar case also played out within the Zamfara State chapter of the party.