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- Governor Bago threatens SWC over low registration
- Orders political appointees back to their Constituencies to mobilize people
- Opposition ADC party harvest defectors
From John Adams, Minna
The ongoing nationwide e- registration of members by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has suffered a major setback in Niger state as low registration has characterized the exercise across the 25 local government areas of the state.
It was gathered that with almost five days into the one week exercise, no local government in the state has recorded up to 200 members, fueling fears that the ruling party is gradually losing popularity amongst the electorates in the state.
The exercise is aimed at creating an authentic membership data base to come up with authentic and verifiable data to know and deal with genuine party members.
The exercise is aimed at deepening grassroots participation, enhancing transparency, and positioning the party for effective mobilisation ahead of future political engagements.
The party is said to be targeting well over one million members in the ongoing e-registration exercise in the state but low turnout has marred the exercise.
Since the exercise commenced last week, it was gathered less than 10,000 members of the party have so far been captured across the 25 local government area of the state.
A source close to the party state working committee told our Correspondent that the governor is visibly angry with the state executive over the low turnout in the ongoing exercise.
The governor accused the state working committee of doing little or nothing to ensure the success of the exercise and meet the one million targets of new members into the party in the state.
Consequently the Governor has ordered all political appointees in the state to go back to their various Constituencies to mobilize party faithful to embrace the ongoing e-registration.
While the APC has continued to struggle with e-registration and woo new members into the party. the opposition parties in the state, especially the Alliance Democratic Congress (ADC) party has continue to harvest defectors in the state,
But the publicity secretary of the party in the state, Musa Labaran Sarkinkaji claimed that about twenty thousand members of the party members have so far been captured in the ongoing e-registration exercise taking place in all the twenty five Local Government Councils.
Labaran Sarkinkaji explained that the e-registration exercise which began on Tuesday last week is expected to last for seven days and that meaningful progress has been achieved, as the turn out, according to him was very encouraging.
He disclosed that at the moment they have a total of 8,130 officials of the party in the state have been registered already, and that the e- registration plans to capture over one million members before the exercise is completed.
Labaran Sarkinkaji however stressed the need for members of APC in Niger state to come out enmasse to register and revalidate their membership because with these new e registration of members the old membership status had been rendered invalid.
On e-registration, he said apart from getting its exact number of members and other planning purposes, it is also for employment, political appointments and distribution of social amenities, in addition to supporting the Independent National Electoral Commission and that of state Independent Electoral Commission to effectively plan well.
Meanwhile, as activities towards the 2027 general elections gathers momentum no fewer than 4,100 parties faithful from different political parties have defected to African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Bosso local government area of the state, marking a significant shift in Niger State politics
Hon. Musa Hassan, Chairman of the ADC in Niger State, welcomed the defectors at the ADC Secretariat in Bosso at the weekend where he urged the defectors to work hard to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming 2027 general elections in the state.
Hon. Hassan expressed joy over what he described as large number of defectors from a single local government, pointing out that it as a clear sign of voters’ dissatisfaction with the ruling APC administration that has failed to deliver on its campaign promises.
The event also marked the official inauguration of the ADC Secretariat in Maikunkele, the headquarter of the local government.
He encouraged the defectors to register with the ADC party and obtain their membership card even as he also reminded them of the ongoing continue voters registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He educated the youths the importance of ibtaining their voter cards, stressing that possessing a voter card is crucial in the fulfillment of their civic duties as Nigerians.
Hon. Mallam Umaru Usman, noted that among the defectors were ten ward councillors who had previously contested in APC primary elections within the area.
He disclosed that more defections are likely to join ADC soon, showing broad discontent with the APC’s leadership at all levels.
Also speaking on behalf of the defectors, Hon. Abubakar Popoi condemned the irregularities seen during the APC primary elections for both party chairman and councilorship positions, which led to their switch to ADC.
He assured that they will work together to secure victory for ADC in the 2027 elections.
