APC registration constitutional, Buni responds to Akande

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has said the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise is constitutional and strategic measure to give members a sense of belonging.

Pioneer national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, had described the exercise as an indefensible aberration and a waste of resources.

However, in a statement his Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mr. Mamman Mohammed, issued on his behalf on Thursday, Buni 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.

“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 said.

The Yobe governor argued that it was diversionary to discuss 2023 general election scheming now, adding that the party was committed to reconciling aggrieved members, driving its membership and ensuring that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration succeeds.

On rumours in some quarters that the APC was wooing former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest on its platform in 2023, Buni said, “It is diversionary to start discussing 2023 elections now.”

“We have a sitting president, Muhammadu Buhari, who is less than two years in office for his second term, we are concentrating on the success of his administration,” he added.

The governor reiterated that the visit by APC top echelon to Jonathan recently was only to felicitate with him on the occasion of his birthday.