Obaseki, APC shop for 500,000 party members ahead of guber election

Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Edo chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have commenced mobilising 500,000 members ahead of the gubernatorial election holding this year in the state.

The governor dropped the hint yesterday during the sensitisation of executives and leaders of the APC in Auchi, Etsako West Local Council, and Irrua in Esan Central council area ahead of the party’s four-week registration exercise across the state.

Obaseki said the exercise was to strengthen the ruling party, noting that in the past three years, APC had focused on restructuring to ensure development from the bottom to top.

“When you have a strong and viable party, the government can do more,” he stated.

The governor submitted that their target was to get over 500,000 members for seamless victory at the poll, adding that the political grouping would remain dominant in state, “because it has the interest of Edo people at heart.”

Obaseki urged stalwarts to collaborate in fortifying the party, adding that members should not be disturbed by “some people in the state who are still practising outdated politics.”

He went on: “They should come back to the house and stay in the queue and behave like anybody else. You cannot practise your politics outside your ward. APC is open; nobody is being driven out. If you have an issue, attend ward meetings and register your complaints so we will all sit down and resolve it.

“You don’t run to Abuja and tell us you have come home and demand membership. It doesn’t work that way. That is not in the party’s constitution.”

The Edo helmsman said the APC was mainly dominated by youths who would not be easily deceived going by their level of intelligence.

He further noted: “The APC is dominated by a large number of young people who do not know the ancient history of the past. So, they will not follow people who want to drag them to the past.

“I see the energetic young people in our party. I know it is forward ever, backward never. The issue of serving for eight years rests with God. Just as he did it before, he will do it again. It is not my problem now. My problem is to prepare for the next four years.”

Earlier, the state party chairman, Anselm Ojezua, explained that the consultative meeting was called at the instance of the governor to educate the faithful of plans to update the party’s membership register, recalling that the last update was effected in 2014.

He said 68 registration teams had been set up to effectively execute the exercise across the state right from the unit level.

At the Irrua gathering, speaker of the state House of Assembly, Frank Okiye, said: “We are toiling night and day to achieve the re-election of Governor Obaseki. We will ensure that the senatorial districts are won for the governor’s re-election.”