Nationnewslead reports that The ongoing membership registration exercise of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has run into hitches, crisis in the South-East, Delta, Kwara and Osun states.
There was paucity of registration materials in the South-East geo-political zone, and Osun State. The exercise was suspended in Delta State, yesterday, following disagreements among party leaders over alleged removal of the names of some people nominated for registration to favour a faction by the State Caretaker Committee Chairman, Prophet Jones Erue.
Prophet Jones Erue confirmed the suspension order but denied removing names of some of those nominated for the exercise. In Kwara, factional members of the state executives alleged hoarding of registration and revalidation materials to deny some members registration.
They accused the Senator John Danboi-registration committee of not carrying them along in the exercise, saying that even though their chairman, Hon Bashir Bolarinwa, is suspended, other members of his team which included Organising Secretary, Women leader and other are not suspended. “So, why did the team side step all of us?” the asked
Though efforts to get Senator John Danboi Committee for reaction were not successful at press time a credible source close to the committee told NNL that based on security reports there were grand plans to attack selected registration units particularly in the urban areas by thugs, so the materials which are available in other places outside Ilorin couldn’t be made available there.
Erue denies tempering with list of nominees in Delta
Nationnewslead gathered that the Chairman of the National Registration and Revalidation Committee of the APC and Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, gave order for the suspension of the exercise in Delta pending resolution of some issues the party was beset with in the state.
A stakeholders meeting will be held today (Thursday) in Abuja to discuss issues that led to the suspension of the exercise.
Nationnewslead gathered that the disagreement arose over Erue’s alleged removal of some names nominated for the exercise by some leaders to favour a faction of the party
However, Erue denied removing names of some of those nominated for the exercise. He said he was not chairman of the registration exercise, adding that he does not have the powers to remove the name of anybody nominated for the exercise.
Factional state exco, registration committee bicker over hoarding of materials.
Though efforts to get the Senator John Danboi Committee for reaction on the alleged hoarding of materials were not successful at press time, a credible source close to the committee told Vanguard that based on security reports that there were grand plans to attack selected registration units particularly in the urban areas by thugs.
Deputy Chairman of the party in Kwara North, Chief Sunday Oyebiyi flanked by other factional members of the executives said they won’t participate until the registration materials are made available. Oyebiyi said: “The guidelines of the registration are being severely raped across all the 1,872 units without exception. Unfortunately, Senator John Danboi and his team are not only looking away but are also seemingly enabling these aberrations for reasons best known to them.
“First, the registration materials are being hoarded in virtually all the units of the state that we have monitored, both the registration forms and the register of members are never provided.
“Instead, party members who are revalidating and others who are prospective are being asked to write their personal details, including their NIN on a rough sheet of paper. We will not participate in the exercise until the materials are made available “
However, a source close to the committee clarified that areas where materials were not available are those flash points the thugs wanted to come and destroy.
Shortage of forms hit S-East
Decrying shortage of registration forms in the South-East, Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. David Umahi, during a maiden visit to the National Secretariat of the APC in Abuja, said south-easterners want to join the party and should not be discouraged
Speaking on his visit, Umahi said he had fruitful discussions with the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Governor Mai Mala Buni and that the issue was being resolved.
His words: “You know since I joined the party in November, I have not visited the party’s national secretariat and so, the chairman afforded me the opportunity while he is around to visit. So, I visited not just because I am visiting first, but to also appreciate the beautiful work the chairman of the party is doing for our party, and making it to be more digital.
“The ongoing registration, arrangements and logistics and the intentions are very wonderful. It is first class because I have never seen it in any party administration. So, it is important I come to commend him and to also commend the staff, who are working with him. This is essentially the reasons I have come.
“APC is just coming on board in South-East. I complained to him that hundreds of forms at the Polling Units is a far cry from what we experience. Everybody in the South-East wants to belong to the APC.”
Osun seeks more materials
In Osun, the exercise faced various logistics challenges.
The exercise scarcely commenced on Tuesday as scheduled as many registration units in Osogbo, the state capital were without registration materials.
Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, was revalidated at his polling unit at Ilesa-East local government. However, the exercise was more visible across polling units in Osogbo, Ife, Modakeke, Ibokun Igbajo, Ota-Ayegbaju among other towns in the state.
Some of the personalities revalidated include the state party caretaker Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Oluomo Sunday Akere, who were registered at Igbajo, Bosun Oyintiloye at Ibokun among others.
Reacting to the development, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Wole Adunola said it was true some logistic problems hindered the take-off of the exercise in most part of the state.
Adunola said: “There was shortage of materials and ad-hoc staff to go round the units, hence, the decision to ration the available materials within some polling units across the state. But the issues have been resolved. Some of the places where they have not started, the exercise will commence tomorrow.”
