Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has issued a stern warning that only members registered in the party’s digital database will be recognized as legitimate members. Ganduje made this announcement during the opening ceremony of the e-membership registration train-the-trainer workshop held in Abuja.
Ganduje, the former governor of Kano State, emphasized the necessity of this digital registration initiative to gain an accurate count of the party’s members, their geographic distribution, and demographic information. He stated that the e-registration would also be essential for members seeking appointments or intending to run for office, as their biometrics must match the details in the National Identity Number (NIN) system.
“We are gathered to fulfill our promise to digitize our party’s membership. This will help us understand our membership’s distribution and demographics better and serve as a reference for party members seeking appointments or election candidacies,” Ganduje said. He added that the reactivation of the registration portal would enable new and existing members from all over the world to join the party.
Suleiman Argungu, the party’s National Organising Secretary, acknowledged the initial skepticism about the feasibility of a digital membership register but praised Ganduje’s determination in pushing the initiative forward. Represented by Deputy National Organising Secretary Nze Chidi Duru, Argungu highlighted the significant progress made despite technological challenges.
In a candid admission, National Secretary Suraijudeen Ajibola Basiru confessed that the party had overstated its membership numbers ahead of the 2023 general elections. Previously claimed to be 45 million, the party’s actual performance in the polls did not reflect this figure. Basiru noted that this exaggeration was a mistake, attributing it to the misuse of the party registers for internal disputes and corruption. The new digital registration system aims to rectify these issues by linking membership records with the NIN.
The training program for the digital registration is a critical step towards ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the party’s membership data, essential for effective leadership and administration.
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