By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has commenced its electronic membership registration exercise, setting a target of more than five million new members across the state.
The Rivers State Chairman of the party, Chief Tony Okocha, disclosed this at the flag-off of the exercise and the training of local government supervisors and ward agents at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt.
Okocha acknowledged that Rivers State was starting the exercise later than some other states but expressed confidence that the party would make up for lost time before the exercise ends later this month.
He urged supervisors and agents to intensify efforts to ensure Rivers State surpasses other states in the registration drive, stressing that the process would be strictly data-driven.
“This registration is not one you do from your house or send someone else to do. Everything about you will be captured as data. There will be no room for ghost or fake registrations,” Okocha said.
He explained that the introduction of e-registration was aimed at eliminating sharp practices and ensuring that only genuine party members are captured in the party’s database.
According to him, the party’s previous membership figures did not reflect accurately during the 2023 general elections, prompting the adoption of a more transparent and verifiable registration process.
“In 2023, the APC claimed to have registered over 12 million members, but the figures did not reflect in the elections. That experience made the party realise the need to be sure that those registered are real members,” he stated.
Okocha charged supervisors and agents to carry out the assignment with diligence and fairness, urging them not to discriminate against anyone willing to join the party.
“You should take this assignment as a personal responsibility. Do not restrict or discourage anyone who wishes to be part of the APC,” he added.
Also speaking, the State Secretary of the party, Chief Eric Nwibani, said the exercise was designed to position Rivers State prominently among APC-controlled states nationwide.
He said the party’s goal was to ensure that Rivers State records one of the highest membership figures in the country at the end of the exercise.
“After Lagos and Kano, Rivers should be next. If we cannot overtake Lagos, we should be able to surpass Kano,” Nwibani said.
He noted that Rivers State has 319 wards and 6,866 polling units, adding that registering just 100 persons per polling unit would push the party’s membership beyond six million.
On his part, the State Coordinator of the APC E-registration Hands-on Device Application Train-the-Trainer Exercise, Mr. Silva Sanwi, said the party is collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure the authenticity of all data captured.
Sanwi explained that the partnership would help guarantee accurate records and ensure a smooth and credible registration process across the state.
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