APC registers 180,000 new members, zones guber slot to Enugu east

The All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, disclosed that it has registered 180, 291 members in the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise in Enugu State, saying the party has zoned its 2023 governorship ticket to the Enugu East Senatorial District.

State Chairman of the Registration and Revalidation Committee, Jonathan Zwingina, who stated this at a meeting with stakeholders as part of activities to round off the exercise in the state, said the figure was three times higher than what the party registered in 2017.

“Registration is done every four years. The last one was done in 2017 and in Enugu State then, we registered 64,000 members. But this time, we have registered 180,291 members. The records are there for anybody to verify, he stated

He stated that while Awgu Council registered the highest, Nsukka and Igboeze North followed and attributed the success to the prevailing peace and reconciliation in the state chapter of the party.

Earlier, Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, said in line with the state’s existing zoning arrangement, “the APC as a party that believes in equity and justice, zoned the governorship to Enugu East Senatorial zone.”

His declaration came when the people of the state have been divided over the zoning arrangement, with a serving member of the National Assembly, Chuka Utazi, saying recently that Enugu North would still produce Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s successor.

Nwoye, who said whereas PDP members were trying to alter the zoning arrangement, added that the APC has taken a final stand on the issue.

He urged members to continue to support the party, stressing that the leadership desired to infuse a sense of belonging in the APC by taking care of the welfare of its members.

Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, who said he was not surprised with the number of registered, attributed the milestone to President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s programmes in the state.

He stated that apart from the N2.8 billion approved for rehabilitation of the Ada Rice project, he added that the Buhari administration sited one of the six regional water projects, a Polytechnic, a School of Science and Technology, among others in Enugu State.