‘No excuses, no exclusion’: APC moves to enforce total e-registration compliance

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has directed all Coordinators of the ongoing nationwide electronic membership registration to ensure that no party member is left unregistered, warning that any Coordinator who fails in this duty will be replaced.

Yilwatda gave the directive during a meeting with State Registration Coordinators at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

He explained that State Organising Secretaries serve as Coordinators for the exercise, except in cases where they were not trained, and noted that the registration exercise is scheduled to end on January 30, 2026.

The APC chairman described electronic registration as a strategic political reform rather than a mere technical upgrade, stressing that it would enhance credibility, mobilisation, discipline, and electoral strength within the party. He said the role of Coordinators is critical to strengthening the APC’s structure nationwide.

“If any Coordinator does not get all members registered in his or her state, we will drop you and appoint another person,” Yilwatda warned, adding that the position is a responsibility, not a ceremonial appointment. He also charged State Party Chairmen to cooperate fully with Coordinators to ensure a seamless process.

Emphasising grassroots importance, Yilwatda said elections are won at the state, local government, and ward levels, not at the national secretariat. He warned against discrepancies between claimed membership figures and actual votes recorded during elections, describing such gaps as unacceptable.

He further cautioned that any State Executive Committee member who fails to register before the January 30 deadline would be removed from office, noting that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has the constitutional authority to enforce compliance. He insisted that the registration exercise is non-negotiable.

The APC chairman also condemned any attempt to block members from registering, stressing that no Chairman, Coordinator, or Governor has the power to disenfranchise party members. To ensure efficiency, he directed states to use Android phones where tablets are unavailable and advised against making the exercise unnecessarily expensive.

Providing an update, Yilwatda said Delta State was leading the exercise, followed by Lagos, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Plateau, and announced that progress would be reviewed in five days. He linked the registration to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda, saying it would provide a credible, real-time membership database.

The Coordinators, in response, commended his leadership and pledged to deliver fully before the deadline.