The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday began fresh registration of members nationwide, with reports from many states saying the exercise could not start due to logistical problems.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that many states experienced late arrival of materials while in others the training of personnel was still going on at the time of filing this report.
In Sokoto State, NAN reports that registration materials were handed over to 23 local governments’ caretaker committee chairmen of the party in the state on Wednesday.
The nine-man committee in each of the 23 local governments was saddled with the responsibility of handling the registration at the council level.
The Chairman of the Registration Committee in the state, Alhaji Nasiru Dantiye, told NAN the party would conform with the registration guidelines set out by the national headquarters.
Dantiye said the APC was determined to ensure that the 10-day exercise was conducted in conformity with the nation’s constitution
In Kano State, the registration did not commence as scheduled as people were awaiting materials and personnel as at midday on Wednesday.
Sources at Gwagwarwa, Gawuna and Kaura Goje polling units told NAN that prospective members started arriving since 8am, but they were dispersed when it was clear nothing was going on.
A Special Assistant to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso told NAN that the party executives were holding a meeting to map out ways for the smooth take-off of the registration.
However, Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, the Chairman of APC Registration Committee in Kano State, said the training of officials was ongoing now.
“We are expecting proper registration to commence later in the day or tomorrow (Thursday),” Inuwa said.
Similarly, in Bauchi State, the APC membership registration had not started as at 2pm due to lack of prompt distribution of materials to local government areas.
The Interim Public Relations Officer of the party, Alhaji Bappa Tafida, told NAN the exercise had been shifted to begin on Thursday due to delay in the distribution of materials.
Tafida said preparations were underway to send all the materials to relevant officers of the party in the local government areas.
He said: “We have experienced delays in the distribution of the registration materials to the local government areas.
“They will however be delivered today (Wednesday) and the exercise proper will commence on Thursday.
“We are appealing to our members to exercise some patience as we are making all necessary arrangements to deliver the materials to all the 20 local government areas in the state.”
However, some of the party members told NAN that they were not discouraged by the development.
They said they would register whenever the exercise began.
In Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola urged interested Nigerians to register as members of the APC.
Fashola made the remark when he kicked off the APC membership registration in the state.
He had arrived the State Junior Grammar School, Itolo, Surulere area of Lagos with his wife, Abimbola Fashola, where he registered as member at exactly 10.40am.
The governor said the APC was moving forward, adding that the registration was a process which would identify individuals making up the party.
Governor Fashola said: “The registration is open and transparent.
“After this, the party will hold its elective congress, which all members are free to contest in as it will be free and fair.”
The Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Chief Henry Ajomale, who registered at his unit in Isolo, said the registration would hold in 8,500 units in the state.
However, some Lagos residents called for more publicity and enlightenment on the ongoing APC membership registration.
Kunle Iyiola, a civil servant, told NAN that enough publicity ought to be put in place to sensitise the members because many were not aware of the exercise.
NAN reports that some areas in Alagbado, Abule-Egba and Agege recorded low turnout of people as the residents went about their normal business.
Lola Akande, the Deputy Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, said efforts had been put in place to ensure many people participated in the exercise.
Bisi Yusuf (APC-Alimosho I) also told NAN that majority of residents in the area had registered as party members after the exercise commenced.
Yusuf said that over 700 residents had registered in Ipaja Ayobo Unit A, while a large number of people had also been registered in Ward B under Alimosho Local Government Area.
In Rivers State, NAN reports that the exercise was being conducted in 4,442 centres.
Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, said there was a large turnout of people for the membership registration.
“Everybody is out to ensure that he or she is not left out in the movement into a brighter future,” Eze said.
NAN reports that in Okehi ward 11 in Etche Local Government Area, the turnout was encouraging, without any problem or confusion.
George Ukwuoma, a former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the people of Okehi had spoken with one voice.
However, NAN reports that in Katsina State, there was a delay in the distribution of registration materials, which stalled the commencement of membership registration.
The Chairman of the APC Interim Management Committee in the state, Alhaji Ahmad Dangiwa, told NAN that registration materials had been brought to the state.
Dangiwa said the party would begin with the training of registration officials who would in turn go to their respective local government areas to train other officers at the ward level and polling units.
He said the party would ensure that the materials were distributed to all the 34 local government areas of the state on Wednesday so that some centres would start registration on Thursday.
Reports from Osun State indicated that the exercise had taken off across the state with little hitches.
The state APC Director of Publicity, Kunle Oyatomi, in an interview with NAN, said reports received at the secretariat had indicated there was a good turnout of people to register.
Oyatomi said: “Our feedback mechanism across the state has shown that the enthusiasm of our people is so high.
“Enough materials have already been dispatched to all registration units across the state to take care of all those who want to identify with the APC.
“We have organised the exercise in such a way that from the units to the wards, up to the state level, competent hands have been selected as registration supervisors.”
NAN reports that there were clusters of people around many registration units in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Ikirun and Osogbo, among others.
The non-availability of registration materials in the 11 local government areas of Gombe State delayed the take-off of the exercise on Wednesday.
NAN reports that at Madaki, Buba Yero and Jeka Da fari wards in Gombe metropolis, the potential members were waiting for the officials as at 1.30pm.
At Kashere ward in Akko Local Government Area of the state, hundreds of would-be members were waiting for the officials to bring the registration materials.
The Kashere ward supervisor, Malam Hamma Bala, said they were waiting for the materials to be brought from Gombe.
The supervisor of Pindiga ward in the area, Malam Yakubu Adamu, told NAN that they were ready for the exercise but there were no materials.
The Interim Chairman of the APC in the state, Magaji Doho, told newsmen at 2pm that the materials would be distributed to the 11 local government areas on Wednesday.
In a related development, all members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly went on a short recess to enable them partake in the nationwide membership registration of the APC.
The Interim Chairman of APC in the state, Chief Jide Awe, expressed delight at the pace of the exercise.
From Adamawa State comes the report that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar made good his movement to the APC by registering his membership in Jada, Adamawa State.
On hand to conduct the membership registration were the Ganye zonal and interim Chairman of APC in Adamawa State.
The former vice president arrived at the registration centre at 2.12pm and was handed a form by the zonal chairman, which he filled out along with an attached passport photograph.
At the end, the state interim chairman handed him a detached slip from the form with No. 02000841, which will serve as a temporary membership card until he is issued with laminated permanent membership card.
Speaking after the registration, the Turaki Adamawa charged his supporters nationwide to avail themselves of the opportunity by registering as members of the APC so that together they can bring about the desired change.
“To make good on the change that you are earnestly yearning for, I urge all my supporters no matter where you may be to follow in my footsteps and register as a member of APC,” Atiku said.
Earlier Abubakar had paid courtesy call on Emir of Ganye, Dr. Umar Sanda, who prayed and wished him well in his enterprise.
Thousands of people had lined the routes to Jada from Yola chanting A-P-C in solidarity with Abubakar, who is the Sarduana of Ganye.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the APC has urged Lagosians to troop out en mass and register in the ongoing membership registration.
The party said this is a great opportunity for Lagosians to not only position themselves as the very root of the progressives resurgence that is presently sweeping across the country, but also be prime partakers in the coming change of leadership Nigerians are working towards.
In a statement signed by the Interim Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, the party said that the fresh registration of members offers Nigerians equal opportunity to become equal stakeholders in the party.
It advised all Lagosians to make good use of the golden opportunity to become members of APC as that will come with the added advantage of midwifing the change Nigerians are poised to make in 2015.
The statement said: “We see the on going membership registration process as a great opportunity to all Nigerians to become active partakers in the quest for a fresh leadership to navigate the country from the quagmire the fifteen years of PDP ruler ship has left it. We see the registration as an opportunity for all to become joint owners of the party as this is the very first registration of the party. We therefore call all Lagosians to make good use of this great opportunity by going to designated registration centers to enlist as a member of this unmistakable change train that is cruising all over Nigeria at present.
“We want to remind Lagosians that the state is the bastion of progressivism as it had remained consistent in opposing the type of bacchanal leadership Nigeria has been infected with since 1999. We wish to also remind Lagosians that Lagos has remained the bastion of progressivism since Nigeria came into existence. Most importantly, we want to remind Lagosians that the state has reaped consistently from its string of progressive governments and has today become the shinning light in the darkling plain Nigeria has become. We therefore urge all to become active partakers in the task of taking Lagos and indeed Nigeria to greater heights by registering for the APC, which has emerged as the vehicle of change when the Nigerian situation has become hopeless.
“We therefore urge all Lagosians to go to any of the party registration centers spread all over the state with two recent passport photographs, register and keep your party card for future references. We urge all Lagosians to go out and register so as not to complain of being left out in the future. Now is the time to own the APC and we believe it is the people that must own it. The registration starts on the 5th of February and ends on the 10th of February in all parts of of the country. So let all Lagosians go and register and keep their registration card for future references. APC is big enough to accommodate all Nigerians.”
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