The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has appealed for calm among its members and supporters facing difficulties in the ongoing electronic membership registration, assuring that the identified technical challenges are being urgently addressed.
Reports from across the state’s 33 local government areas indicate that a significant number of party faithful, both existing and prospective members, are yet to have their personal data captured due largely to technical glitches. The development has triggered growing calls within the party for an extension of the registration deadline.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC’s Oyo State Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, acknowledged the challenges but stressed that party leaders were working round the clock with relevant authorities to resolve the issues before the current deadline, scheduled for Saturday.
Sadare explained that the requirement for registrants to present their National Identification Number (NIN) and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) was introduced to ensure the integrity of the party’s database, strengthen internal planning, and align with global best practices in membership management.
“We are not unaware of some glitches in the electronic registration exercise, particularly the inability of many willing party faithful to have their data captured, as well as the lack of NIN by some individuals who desire to register,” the statement said. “The leadership of the APC is addressing these issues with urgency.”
He added that appeals for an extension of the registration window had been formally communicated to the party’s National Secretariat, expressing optimism that a favourable response would be received promptly. Nonetheless, members and stakeholders were urged to intensify efforts to complete the process within the existing timeline.
Describing the e-registration as a critical exercise, the party warned that failure to register could have serious implications for members’ political relevance ahead of upcoming congresses and party primaries in the build-up to the next general elections.
“As a matter of fact, old members and leaders who fail to register in the ongoing exercise would cease to be reckoned with in the scheme of things,” the statement cautioned.
The APC leadership also encouraged members encountering difficulties to report promptly to the party’s State Secretariat at Oke-Ado, Ibadan, to enable swift intervention and resolution.