Chairman, Kano State chapter of APC, Abdullahi Abbas, who issued the threat yesterday while declaring open a stakeholders’ meeting to flag off the membership registration in Kano, warned that government will no longer tolerate the employment of anyone who does not possess the APC membership card. He charged all civil servants and political office holders to ensure they register with the party as the membership registration commences across the state.
He further warned that it had become compulsory not only for them to do the registration, but also come along with their family members, wards, friends and other dependents.
“Not only them, but all their family members and friends as well as their wards must come out and register with the APC. “I call on the state governor not to assent to the employment or empowerment of anybody that is not registered with our great party.
“There is no way we can accept a situation whereby anyone will benefit from the goodies of the government and will not register with the party. “If the state governor refuses to heed to this demand, we will protest. “Our great party was in the lead during the last registration exercise and must do everything possible to maintain that position.
“It is not enough for you as a beneficiary of the government to just register alone without bringing those around you to register,” Abbas stated. APC has embarked on a nationwide membership registration and revalidation exercise to beef up its membership strength across the country.
The programme was flagged off by President Muhamnadu Buhari on Saturday in Daura, Katsina State. In Plateau, Governor Simon Lalong has told members of the State Executive Council to participate in the ongoing membership registration and re-validation of the APC in order to revalidate their appointments.
“This is what I expect from every stakeholder, I have told them already that nobody under my appointment has any licence to say, no, I would not register. “If you have not registered before, this is the time to revalidate your appointment. “If you do not want to revalidate your appointment, then you are telling us you belong to the other side,” he said.
The governor said the registration at the ward levels would give those at the grassroots ownership and a sense of belonging, adding it would encourage them to support the activities of the party. He said that the process was open, assuring that there would be no intimidation or manipulation to get fake figures.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Musa Mahmud, said they were in Plateau to supervise the exercise and to ensure that all the guidelines for the process was adopted. In Lagos, APC leaders yesterday met to strategise on the party’s membership revalidation and registration exercise starting on February 9 in the state. Dr. Mohammed Bashir, Chairman, seven-man State Supervisory Committee of the APC Membership Revalidation and Registration Exercise in Lagos, presided over the meeting of top-notch party leaders at Lagos APC Secretariat.
He called for cooperation and due process and urged stakeholders to ensure massive mobilisation of members at the grassroots for the exercise. In his opening address, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, Lagos State APC Caretaker Chairman, urged party leaders to massively mobilise members for the nationwide membership revalidation and registration exercise. Balogun said that the national committee members were in Lagos to ensure seamless exercise.
“They are here to work with us to ensure we have a seamless membership registration and revalidation of our party members. “The registration exercise has brought some controversies.
The registration of members should be seen as routine. The apprehension is needless. “The Lagos chapter will ensure that the process is fair, transparent and allinclusive. “I implore all members to mobilise other members of APC at grassroots to come and register. No member will be denied. Every willing member is entitled to register,” Balogun said.
He said that no one would be denied registration and nobody would be sidelined, saying all willing citizens above 18 years would be registered in the exercise between February 9 and 25 The meeting had in attendance several council chairmen, state and federal lawmakers and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Governor Mai Mala-Buni of Yobe and the Chairman, APC Caretaker Extraordinary/ Convention Planning Committee has warned against attempts to deny any member the right to register in the ongoing national revalidation exercise. Mala-Buni gave the warning in a statement by his Director General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, in Damaturu.
He said: “In this registration, it will be a futile exercise for those nursing the idea of hoarding the materials to create scarcity and deny others from registration.
“We have adequate backup materials to ensure the success of the registration,” he said. Mala-Buni also charged members of the party to observe the COVID-19 protocols throughout the registration and revalidation exercise.
The governor said that the call became necessary for the party to ensure that the exercise was hitch free and in compliance with government’s directives on COVID-19.
