APC registration exercise unnecessary, waste of funds – Akande

The pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, on Wednesday, described the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise in the party as unnecessary and a waste of funds.

Akande, who stated this in a chat with journalists at a registration centre in Ila Oragun, Osun State, stressed that the exercise which is taking place less than 10 years after the APC registration is an aberration.

He also faulted the creation of a national caretaker committee for the ruling party.

The ex-Osun State governor stressed that in normal circumstances, a caretaker executive committee for a political party was an abnormality if not carefully controlled and expeditiously managed.

Several key members of the APC loyal to the party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu, including a member of House of Representatives representing Ojodu Federal Constituency in Lagos, James Faleke, had expressed reservation about the registration exercise.

In a letter to the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Mai Buni, Faleke called for the postponement of the exercise.

He argued that it would be counterproductive if APC goes ahead with the process.

READ ALSO: Membership registration will improve APC chances in 2023 – Gov Bello

To others, however, the exercise was a subtle way by some forces in APC to whittle down the ex-Lagos governor’s influence in the party.

Akande said: “The major perception is that APC leadership might be wasteful and unappreciative of the proper use of money in a kind of scanty economy in which Nigeria now finds itself.

“These seeming ugly perceptions put into abeyance the applause of the two national election successes that the original APC register enjoyed since its completion on 15th February 2014 and the over N1 billion of 2014’s value that the original register cost when APC had no money of its own.

“While thanking you All – my APC leaders and its delegation – that now come to honour me today, I want to emphasize and warn that the next national election that would elect a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari is going to be the most important test of the ongoing APC membership registrations and whatever structure being envisaged to be imposed on it.

“It is my advice and prayer therefore that every sense of responsibility should be selflessly employed to make these efforts ultimately result in success for our APC.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now