Buni Replies Akande, Says Ongoing APC Membership Registration Exercise Strategic, Constitutional

Buni Replies Akande, Says Ongoing APC Membership Registration Exercise Strategic, Constitutional

By Adedayo Akinwale

The chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Yobe state Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has described the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise as a constitutional provision and a strategic measure taken by the committee to give existing and new members a sense of belonging.

A former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, had on Wednesday described the ongoing party registration and revalidation exercise as an indefensible aberration leading to certain ugly perceptions.

He also described the exercise as a waste of money considering the economic situation of the country.

But, Buni in a statement issued Thursday by his Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mr. Mamman Mohammed, said the registration and revalidation exercise would assist the party to generate a valid, accurate and up-to-date data on party membership to enhance and support its planning process.

He stated: “Since the initial exercise in 2014, the party has not registered new members nor updated the personal information of our existing members as provided for by the constitution.”

“The registration exercise gives our new members a sense of belonging and the existing members will update their information while those who left the party will have their names removed from the party register,” he added.

Buni also pointed out that the party had through the Caretaker committee succeeded in building a new confidence among its members and reassuring them of a new hope in the party.

He noted that the focus of the Caretaker Committee was to strengthen the party through a bottom-up approach and to carry everyone on board, while those aggrieved have happily rejoined APC just as new ones have joined the party.

Buni stressed that the Caretaker committee has reconciled many aggrieved members and factions across the country including the Zamfara state factions among others and bringing in prominent politicians into APC, including the governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi.

The chairman also dismissed claims that APC was wooing former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2023 presidency on its platform saying 2023 is not on its agenda for now.

According to him, It is diversionary to start discussing 2023 elections now. We have a sitting president, Muhammadu Buhari, who is less than two years in office of his second term, we are concentrating on the success of his administration.

He explained that the visit by some governors to former president Jonathan was solely to felicitate with him on his birthday anniversary, adding that this was done to honour him as a former leader.

Buni said after all, in spite of the political differences, President Buhari had on some occasions delegated Jonathan to undertake some regional assignments.

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