A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Hon. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has lamented that the ongoing APC e-registration exercise in the state is being conducted contrary to Article 9(1) of the party.

In a letter addressed to the national chairman of the APC and made available to newsmen in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, Shinkafi noted that the exercise has commenced in all 14 Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, but is full of irregularities.
“The e-registration exercise was supposed to provide ample opportunity for all eligible members, old and new, to be duly captured and registered in the party digital register,” he added.
“Political parties that shy away from reforms inevitably decay. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has chosen the harder but nobler path over chaos, structure, arbitrariness, transparency, and convenience.
“The e-registration exercise is therefore a firm response to the demands of modern politics, data integrity, and credible internal democracy.
“The exercise guarantees the sanctity and credibility of the party register. It decisively eliminates duplication, impersonation, irregularities, and shadow membership arrangements that undermine party cohesion and cooperation.

“Every APC member must be known, verifiable, and properly accounted for.
“Crucially, the e-registration provides a level playing ground for old and new members alike to have a clear, undisputed footnote in the party without fear or favour. It dismantles gatekeeping structures and sends a strong message that no one owns the APC beyond its constitution and collective will.
“In view of the above on the importance of the ongoing APC Party membership e-registration exercise, the provision of Article 9 of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party constitution has been breached, and we have resorted to the remedy stated in said part of the constitution, which states:
“Section 9(1): Eligibility/registration. Membership of the Party shall be open to any citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has attained the age of 18 years and who accepts the aims and objectives of the Party, provided that such a person is not a member of any other political party or any organisation whose policies and programs are inconsistent with those of the Party.

“ii. Application for membership shall be made to and cleared by the ward executives of the Party in the ward of the Local Government Area where the person was born, resides, works, or originates.
“Online registration shall also be acceptable provided that it is cleared by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party.
“iii. Where an application is refused, the applicant may, as of right, appeal to the Local Government Area Executive Committee of the Party or to the National Secretary or National Chairman in the case of online registration.
“iv. Upon enrolment, every member shall pay the prescribed fees and shall be issued with a membership card.
“There are a series of serious complaints by APC members who are members of the ‘Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front’ across the 14 Local Government Areas (LGA) and 147 wards in Zamfara State that the Zamfara state chapter of APC directed the Local Government chairmen and ward chairmen to exclude all APC members who are loyal to Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, and members of my political movement, ‘Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front’.

“Exclusion of some Local Government executives and ward executives from the exercise was a deliberate attempt to exclude my supporters from the APC Party Membership e-registration exercise.
“According to reliable sources and situation reports from my coordinators across the 14 Local Government Areas and 147 electoral wards, the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle, allegedly masterminded the exclusion of members of my political movement who are bona fide members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State.
“The situation has raised grievous fears that the reform exercise the party introduced has been compromised and has caused party factions and disunity among the ranks and files of APC members in Zamfara State.”

“We hereby urge the National Chairman of our great party (APC) to constitute an independent and transparent investigation panel to address this act of impunity and injustice; anyone found wanting should be sanctioned in accordance with the party’s constitutional disciplinary measures.
“If it is not checked at the earliest possible time, it will derail the aims and objectives of this technological innovation by the pragmatic National Chairman of our party.
“Those entrusted with the responsibility of the registration exercise have compromised their position and breached the trust entrusted to them by the National Leadership of the party.
“There is an urgent need for the national leaders of the party to ensure transparency, fairness, and impartiality in the nationwide ongoing e-registration exercise for both old and new members of the APC in Zamfara State, irrespective of their loyalty to any political bigwigs and moneybags in Zamfara State who have hijacked the central nervous system of the party—the State Working Committee or the party structures at all levels.

“They keep threatening, intimidating, and harassing other members of the party who have not succumbed to their undemocratic attitude and flagrant disrespect for internal party democracy.
“I hereby urge the National Chairman and all members of the National Working Committee of our great party to, as a matter of utmost urgency, address this exclusion of members of our political movement, ‘Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front.’
“To avoid any form of factionalism, lack of unity, and disruption of peaceful coexistence among party members, and to avoid a repeat of the bad history of 2019 and 2023, respectively, where the party lost elections to the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”