The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has issued a stern directive to state coordinators overseeing the party’s ongoing nationwide electronic membership registration, warning that any coordinator who fails to register all party members will be removed from office.
Yilwatda gave the directive during an interaction with state registration coordinators at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, stressing that the assignment is a serious responsibility and not a ceremonial role.
His warning followed a briefing by the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who disclosed that the party had registered over two million members within one week of the commencement of the exercise in some states.
The nationwide registration exercise, which began earlier this month, is scheduled to end on January 30.
According to Yilwatda, no APC member should be left out of the registration process, noting that failure by any coordinator would attract immediate replacement.
“If any coordinator does not get all members registered in his or her state, we will drop you and appoint another person. The position you occupy is an opportunity to make the party better,” he said.
The APC chairman described the coordinators as the party’s foot soldiers, emphasizing that strong and functional structures at the state, local government, and ward levels are critical to the party’s overall strength.
He also called on APC state chairmen to cooperate fully with the coordinators to ensure a smooth and successful registration exercise.
“Nobody contests elections at the national secretariat. Elections are won or lost at the state, senatorial, constituency, local government, and ward levels. The performance of the party rests squarely on you,” Yilwatda stated.
The national chairman lamented situations where the party claims millions of members in some states but records poor electoral performance, describing such discrepancies as unacceptable.
He further warned that any State Executive Committee (SEC) member who fails to register before the January 30 deadline would be removed, stressing that the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) has the constitutional authority to enforce compliance.
Yilwatda also cautioned against sharp practices aimed at blocking or excluding party members from the registration process.
“No chairman, no coordinator, and not even a governor has the power to stop any party member from being registered. No one must be disenfranchised,” he warned.
To ensure efficiency, he directed coordinators to use Android phones where tablets are unavailable, insisting that no state should delay the exercise due to lack of devices. He also urged coordinators to avoid making the process unnecessarily expensive for state governments.
Providing an update on the registration progress, Yilwatda revealed that Delta State is currently leading the exercise, followed by Lagos, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Plateau states, urging other states to emulate their pace and commitment.
He disclosed that the registration progress would be reviewed within five days and linked the electronic registration initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing reforms, stressing that the APC must reflect the same drive for modernisation and accountability.
