The Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has said that the ongoing revalidation and registration of new membership by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) is not designed to favour or work against anyone in particular.
Governor Bello who is the national Chairman of the APC Revalidation and Membership Registration Committee also assured that the programme will be carried out as transparently as possible and therefore wants those interested to ensure they join the process.
The Governor who spoke in his country home, Kontagora after revalidating his membership in his ward, added that, “In a Democractic process people should express their views but what I know is that this process is not to favour or work against anyone”.
Speaking against insinuations about the geuineness or otherwise of the exercise, Governor Bello said the APC’s National Executive Council (NEC) approved the exercise, adding that the conduct ‘can therefore not be illegal as some people are still doubts’.
The ongoing revalidation and registration of new members programme has become expedient in view of the fact that it was in 2014 that suc exercise was carried out hence the process has become expedient with movements in and out of the party by eligible voters.
He said, “Between 2014 and now I cannot say that it is the same people that voted then that we have today. Some have left for other political parties while others joined us from other parties including youths that have turned 18 now and wants to join politics and we have to accommodate them”.
“It is a right step to take it is the best thing to do to have new entrants while old members will have to indicate that they are still within the fold. We want to grow the party, people make the party people want to join our party we cannot close our doors against them”.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the party should be rebuilt from the grassroots level upwards, the Governor further explained. “That is why he supported the membership revalidation and new members registration exercise”.
While assuring of his preparedness to step in wherever there is problems as a result of the registration/revalidation exercise, Governor Bello said his committee will be on hand to resolve such problems, including where there is shortage of materials.
In the meantime, the Special Adviser Political Matters to Governor Sani Bello, Alhaji Nma Kolo has made a case for the continuos revalidation and registration of party members by all registered political parties for authentication of existing political parties.
Since politics and politicking is a continuous thing in Nigeria, Alhaji Nma Kolo said political party registers should not be closed at anytime so that those who have attained mandatory 18 years voting age can join a political party of their choice at will.
Nma Kolo told journalists that many eligible voters who might have been sitting on the fence and can in the course of time change their minds and decided to join a political party can easily do so hence, keeping the register open will allow such people easy access without unde rush associated with such exercise if the registration is not made permanent.
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