Buni to Akande: Membership registration is constitutional

By Jide Orintunsin – Abuja

The Chairman Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mai Mala Buni on Thursday said the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise is conducted within the ambit of the law.

The former Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande at his Ila Orangun country home on Wednesday described the registration exercise as aberration saying it contradicts the rule of a periodic census.

But on Thursday, Governor Buni in a statement by his Director General, Press and Media Affairs, Malam Mamman Mohammed in Abuja said the registration exercise was constitutional.

According to the Chairman, “the membership registration and revalidation exercise was a constitutional provision which is part of the strategic measures taken by the committee to give existing and new members a sense of belonging.

“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.

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Governor Buni said the registration and revalidation exercise would assist the party to generate valid, accurate, and up to date data on party membership to enhance and support its planning process.

He further said the CECPC is committed to reconciling aggrieved members, uniting the party, registration, and revalidation of its members.

Governor Buni said the party has through the Caretaker committee succeeded in building new confidence among its members and reassuring them of new hope in the party.

“Our focus is 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.

“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 Mr David Umahi the serving governor of Ebonyi state with more coming”