APC directs coordinators to register all members or face removal

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has directed all state coordinators of the electronic membership registration to ensure that no party member is left unregistered.

Yilwatda gave the directive in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy, Mr Abimbola Tooki, after a meeting with state registration coordinators in Abuja.

He warned that any coordinator who fails to ensure full registration in his or her state would be replaced.

According to him, the electronic membership registration exercise, which commenced on Jan. 5, is scheduled to end on Jan. 30.

Yilwatda said the initiative was a major political reform for the APC.

“For a mass-membership party like APC, this is not just a technical upgrade. It is a strategic political reform that strengthens credibility, mobilisation, discipline and electoral strength,” he said.

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The chairman said the position of coordinator was not ceremonial but a serious responsibility.

“The position you occupy is an opportunity to make the party better. If any coordinator does not get all members registered, we will drop you and appoint another person,” he said.

Yilwatda described the coordinators as the foot soldiers of the party and urged state party chairmen to cooperate fully with them.

He said: “When party structures at the state level are strong and functional, the party itself becomes strong.

“Nobody contests elections at the national secretariat. Elections are won or lost at the state, senatorial, constituency, local government and ward levels. The performance of the party rests squarely on you.

The APC chairman warned against a situation where party membership figures do not align with electoral performance.

“It is unacceptable for a state to claim millions of members and record very low votes during elections,” he said.

He said the National Executive Committee (NEC) had created a conducive environment for party programmes to succeed.

“Party structures at all levels must begin to reflect real membership strength,” he said.

Yilwatda further warned that state executive committee members who failed to register would be removed from office.

“Any state executive committee member who does not register before Jan. 30, 2026, will be removed from office.

“NEC has the constitutional authority to enforce compliance,” he added.

The chairman called on state party chairmen to give full support to the registration exercise.

“This is not negotiable. The warning must go from the state level down to the ward level,” he said.

Yilwatda also condemned any attempt to block or exclude party members from being registered.

He directed coordinators to use Android phones where tablets are unavailable to prevent delay of the exercise.

“No chairman, no coordinator, and not even a governor has the power to stop any party member from being registered. No one must be disenfranchised.

“No state should delay the exercise waiting for devices,” he said.

The APC chairman advised coordinators to avoid unnecessary costs for state governments.

“In my state, we recruited registration officials from their wards to ease logistics,” he said.

Yilwatda disclosed that Delta State was currently leading in the exercise, adding that Lagos, Kebbi, Adamawa and Plateau states were following closely.

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Urging other states to emulate their pace and commitment, the chairman said he would review the progress of the exercise within five days.

Yilwatda likened the electronic registration to President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reforms.

“We need accurate data to support the President. We must be different from all other parties. We cannot make decisions on faulty premises. This registration must succeed,” he said.

He explained that the electronic registration would provide APC with a credible and verifiable membership database.

According to him, it will enhance internal democracy, improve campaign planning, eliminate fraud and ensure that party resources are deployed based on real data.

In their response, the coordinators commended Yilwatda for his leadership and pledged their full commitment to the success of the exercise.

They said party structures at all levels would be revitalised within the next two weeks.

The coordinators assured the chairman that they would complete the registration exercise before the set deadline. (NAN)