Politics

Oshiomhole Reveals Number Of People Registered Under APC

Published

6 years ago

September 13, 2018

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress has revealed its number of member which runs into several millions.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday said the party would ensure its primaries were conducted in a transparent manner.

Oshiomhole, while speaking during the submission of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms by President Muhammadu at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, said the APC had registered 15.6 million members so far.

He also said that the party has verifiable and credible personalities to conduct direct primaries on the basis of membership register.

Oshiomhole said, “We will activate the membership data, update it, register more members…we need to have evidence that can be verified by a third party or even by members if they wish to do so. We need to make use of modern technology and produce what we think is the best. We now have as of last week when they started the printing of the registered members, about two weeks ago, we had about 15.6 million registered APC member across the country.”

He added that registration system has been designed in such a way that from the comfort one’s sitting room, “you can check your membership and even membership of anyone you want to verify without any effort. People like us who are analogue we can get special assistants who are able play with this small small smart phones to help us.

“Sir, this is your card which I am very able to say that although our party is about 5 years old, somehow we haven’t completed the process of issuing formal membership card that cannot easily be forged or duplicated or printed by a roadside printer. So, it’s my honour to present first this card to you which shows your Excellency’s names; first name, surname, local government area, state, even ward, date of birth and validity of the card not of your membership sir, the validity of the card is 31st December 2023. The whole idea is that we believe by 2023, technology may have even improved further and we can even improve on the quality of the card.

“But Sir, you will be paying N100 to acquire this because we have to pay for it even…. I will tell you in private those who have funded this laudable effort. So for the purpose of the direct primary, for example, the person conducting the direct primary will have this register and the member coming to vote will show the membership card, they will compare it with the register and if the details are the same, he will be accredited to vote.

“We have those cartons there for the entire membership of Katsina State only. Now, we decide to bring only for Katsina State from reasons I need not disclose. But if you are envious it be your turn next time, but for now it is Mr President’s turn.

These are from your Excellency’s ward. We decided to display it publicly so people understand that we have credible basis, verifiable basis to conduct direct primaries on the basis of a membership register. Before I am misunderstood or misquoted, it goes without saying that in spite of the fact that we have these credible membership register, it does not in any way modify or change the decision of the NEC with regards to the flexibility of the state that was agreed to.”