Obaseki, Edo APC target over 500, 000 new members

Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commenced an aggressive drive with the objective of reaching a target of over 500, 000 members ahead of the 2020 gubernatorial election.

The governor said this during the sensitisation of executives and leaders of the APC in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area and Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area ahead of the party’s four-week registration exercise across the state.

Gov. Obaseki said the registration process is aimed at strengthening the APC at the base, noting that in the past three years, the party has focused on restructuring to ensure that development flows from bottom to top.

“When you have a strong and viable party, the government can do more,” he said.

The governor noted that the target is to get over 500, 000 members to ensure seamless victory for the APC during the election, adding that APC will continue to be the dominant party in Edo state because it has the interest of Edo people at heart.

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Gov. Obaseki urged all members of the state chapter of the APC to join in building the party, while insisting that members should not be disturbed by people who are still practising outdated politics.

He added that “They should come back to the house and stay on the queue and behave like anybody else. You cannot practice your politics outside your ward. APC is open; nobody is being driven out. If you have an issue, attend ward meetings and register your complaints so we will all sit down and resolve it.

“You don’t run to Abuja and tell us you have come home and demand membership. It doesn’t work that way. That is not in the party’s constitution.”

The governor said the APC is mainly dominated by youths who would not be easily deceived going by their level of intelligence, adding further that “the APC is dominated by a large number of young people who do not know the ancient history of the past so they will not follow people who want to drag them to the past.

“I see the energetic young people in our party. I know it is forward ever, backward never. The issue of serving for eight years rests with God. Just as he did it before, he will do it again. It is not my problem now. My problem is to prepare for the next four years.”

Earlier, Edo state Chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua said the consultative meeting was called at the instance of the governor to educate party members of plans to update the party membership register, adding that the last update of the register was done in 2014.

Ojezua said 68 registration teams have been set up to update the register of members across the state and the exercise would take place at the unit level of the party.