Protesters storm APC Secretariat, demands extension of registration, revalidation exercise

Tom Okpe Abuja

Protesters storm the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, APC on Monday demanding an extension of the ongoing party’s membership registration and revalidation exercise.

The protesters who were at the party’s Secretariat at 10.30 am in a sting operation that lasted for about 30 minutes, displayed posters with various inscriptions like, ‘extend the time for party membership revalidation and registration for new members; ‘don’t close the door against others, don’t stop the registration’; ‘like INEC, new members registration should be a continuous process, extend the registration exercise’ among others appeal to the party leadership to extend the exercise.

In the letter of extension addressed to the National Secretary, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee John James Akpanudoehede, the organizers introduced themselves as Coalition of Political Action Group, consisting of concerned stakeholders who are members of various state chapters of the party.

The letter signed by Habeeb Mutallib reads: “We are here in relation to the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise scheduled to end in two days’ time, March 31, 2021.

“It is our firm expectation and demand that the exercise should be extended indefinitely until such a time as it becomes incompatible with the electoral laws and timetable.

“The membership registration and revalidation exercise have proven to be an inspired idea by the National Caretaker Committee led by the able chairman, Mai Mala Buni.

“It has provided a reason for many of our waring leaders and factions to unite around a common objective in the higher interest of our party as they work together to make certain, the exercise succeeds in their constituencies.

“Bearing in mind that our father and most valuable player, President Muhammadu Buhari will not be on the ballot in 2023, we must devise sustainable means to retain power and continue his legacies.

“The exercise is the only political event within our party since 2015 which has rekindled our hopes that the grassroots energies which propelled us to victory and displaced the PDP from the President in 2015 still exists.

“We are aware that if the APC wraps up this exercise prematurely, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the APC’s perennial opposition which has always fancied itself will immediately exploit the breather to start her its raucous mobilization exercise in a bid to distract the populace from her heinous crimes against the Republic while she held sway between 1999.

“Good politics demand that we deny the PDP such an opportunity. We must remain prolific in counting Nigerians both by sustaining unending good governance manifesting as the dividends of democracy as well as by direct engagement programmes like this exercise.

“Our request is predicated solely on the proven benefits of the exercise to our numerical strength and political standing as a party, especially in areas where we have hitherto faced resistance,” he said.

The Party leader commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct promising to take their demand to the appropriate quarters.