The Chairman, National Registration Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, has said the committee will not allow bigwigs in the party to hijack its membership registration and revalidation exercise.
Speaking after the inauguration of the committee on Wednesday in Abuja, Bello said such an attitude would not be tolerated, and appealed to those saddled with the registration in the states not to give in to the antics of those who would want them to do their bidding.
“We have very few members who have left the party and we have many who have joined the party and we believe they should be given the opportunity to register as members of our great party, the APC.
“We will ensure that no one is left behind. We should know that theft or hijack of registration materials will not be tolerated. We should note that domination of the registration process by individuals or groups will not be tolerated,” he said.
Bello appealed to chairmen and secretaries of the committee to ensure that they stand their grounds and ensure that the exercise is properly conducted.
Speaking at the occasion, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said the APC registration exercise would prove his state “as the largest democracy in Nigeria.”
Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, who inaugurated the committee, charged the state registration committees to work strictly with the guidelines provided by the national leadership of the party.
- Reps committee wants membership registration shelved
Meanwhile, the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance, James Abiodun Faleke, has appealed to the Buni-led caretaker committee to shelve the party’s membership registration.
Faleke, in a letter to Buni, said that was to save the APC from the moral burden of not helping the spread of the COVID-19 infection.
“The prevailing pandemic situation in Nigeria and the fact of being a COVID-19 survivor have compelled me to write this letter to you as a loyal and committed party member and a patriotic Nigerian.
“Personally, I felt the decision to revalidate and conduct new registration of members is a laudable and commendable one because as we move towards another general election in 2023, the need to update our membership register could not have come at a more opportune period.
“But as laudable as the registration plan may be, what about the timing of the exercise? With due respect sir, it’s my considered opinion that the timing is not appropriate at this time, especially given the renewed surge in the spread of COVID as it is being reported on daily basis by the Presidential Task Force.
“Some states are already over-stretched in oxygen supplies and care. Our government has for some time given directives to the religious bodies to reduce congressional attendance at both churches and mosques. So many states have cancelled social gatherings while others are compelling the use of face masks to reduce the rate of infection and fatalities.
“So why must we go into an exercise that will certainly draw large crowds across the various states?”
