There is anxiety in state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over plot to hijack the membership registration exercise of the party, reports by our correspondents revealed.
The national caretaker and extraordinary convention planning committee of the party declared the nationwide exercise to update and validate membership registers of the party across its chapters.
President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off the exercise on Saturday in Daura, Katsina State, with a call on all members of the party to participate in the exercise.
Reports by our correspondents showed that top shots of the party in states who are nursing ambitions in 2023 are all out to hijack the exercise.
Ahead of the commencement of the exercise, Daily Trust reports that stakeholders’ meetings were held in states to iron out grey areas, yesterday.
Our correspondents report that the exercise will commence in Kebbi, Plateau and Ondo states, among others today.
In Lagos, Daily Trust reports that there is apprehension over a move by some aggrieved members who have vowed to take over the party’s structures from the national leader and former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and conduct a parallel congress.
To halt the move, a seven-man committee from Abuja met with the party’s leadership on Monday at the party’s secretariat in Ikeja with members of the national and state assemblies as well as political office holders in attendance.
The seven-man committee from Abuja is led by Dr. Bashir Muhammed.
Speaking with our correspondent, chairman of Lagos State Caretaker Committee of the party, Hon. Tunde Balogun, assured that the process would not be hijacked, saying every member would be registered fairly and freely.
The chairman also dismissed a move by some aggrieved members of the party to conduct a parallel registration exercise, declaring that they would fail woefully.
Addressing the stakeholders, the chairman of the registration committee, Dr. Bashir Muhammed, advised against mudslinging and asked members of the party to work together and ensure that “nobody is excluded, nobody is left behind.”
Our correspondent reports that the exercise will commence in Ondo State today in all the 309 polling units and 203 wards of the state.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held in Akure, yesterday, the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said the exercise will strengthen the party and unite the members.
In Kebbi State, the party has warned money bag politicians against hijacking the exercise saying, severe sanctions await offenders, ahead of the commencement of the exercise today.
The party’s image maker, Sani Dododo, who handed the warning, yesterday in Birnin Kebbi, called on all members to come out for the exercise.
Our correspondent in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, reports that some members of the party have alleged that some big wigs were trying to hijack the process.
However, the party chairman in the state, Barrister Ibrahim El-Sudi, said the exercise will commence on February 9 in the state and assured that all will be carried along.
Similarly, our correspondent reports that the exercise will commence today in Plateau State. The state governor, Simon Bako Lalong, has directed all government appointees to go to their polling units to participate in the exercise.
The governor gave the directive when he hosted the national registration and revalidation committee for the state. While expressing optimism that the exercise will be successful, Lalong urged members of the party to mobilise others for the exercise.
In Yobe, the exercise will commence today. The chairman of the committee for registration and revalidation, Ibrahim Dika, said materials have arrived Damaturu, the state capital, adding that the processes will commence today.
The exercise is expected to commence on February 9 in Benue State, according to the acting Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, James Ornguga.
Party is supreme – Masari
Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari,said the party is supreme and urged all to adhere religiously to the constitution of the party.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Katsina State Government House, he said: “If at the ward level, the party has the powers to expel a national chairman, then there will be no one above the constitution and whoever tries to test the power of our party constitution will be in for it, even if that person is Aminu Bello Masari.
“As I came into this venue, I came with the party’s constitution and in it there are rules and regulations governing the conduct of our party and let me assure you that those rules will be followed to the letter and whosoever tries to break them will be dealt with accordingly.”
By Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos), Bola Ojuola (Akure), Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi), Magaji lsa Hunkuyi (Jalingo), Ado Abubakar Musa (Jos), Ibrahim Baba Saleh (Damaturu), Aliyu M. Hamagam (Birnin Kebbi) & Tijjani Ibrahim (Katsina)
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