The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has announced plans to register around six million new members as the party launches its e-registration exercise.
State APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, made this known on Monday during the flag-off event and the training of local council supervisors and ward agents at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt.
Okocha acknowledged that Rivers State was starting the exercise later than other states but urged supervisors to work diligently to ensure the state surpasses all others by the end of January.
“This registration requires personal participation—your data must be displayed, and there is no room for ghost registrations. Some states have already registered over 300,000 members, but we are confident Rivers will take the lead quickly,” he said.
He emphasized that the state’s population of over six million makes it vital to start promptly. The e-registration process, he explained, is designed to prevent fake entries and ensure all members are legitimate.
Okocha noted that while the party previously registered over 12 million members in 2023, the numbers did not reflect in election results, prompting the adoption of the e-registration system.
“In 2023, APC claimed to have over 12 million members, but that figure appeared inflated as it did not translate into votes. This exercise ensures we know exactly who our members are,” he said.
He further instructed supervisors and agents to conduct the registration fairly and inclusively, without discriminating against anyone who wishes to join the party.
“This is your personal responsibility. Ensure everyone in your precinct is registered and do not turn anyone away,” he added.
Reassuring party members of APC’s strength in Rivers, Okocha stressed the importance of the exercise in boosting the party’s presence in the state.
State Secretary Eric Nwibani said the goal is for Rivers to secure its rightful position among Nigerian states in membership numbers, aiming to surpass Kano State in the process.
“We have 319 registration areas and 6,866 polling units in Rivers. Even registering 100 members per unit would put us above six million,” Nwibani said.
Silva Sanwi, State Coordinator of the APC e-registration Hands-on Device Application Train-the-Trainer Exercise, added that the party is working with the National Identity Management Commission to ensure all data captured is accurate and the registration process runs smoothly.
