APC Chairman Orders State Coordinators to Register All Members or Face Removal

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has issued a firm directive to coordinators of the party’s ongoing nationwide electronic membership registration exercise, warning that any coordinator who fails to ensure full registration of party members in their state will be replaced. The directive underscores the party’s resolve to strengthen its internal structures and align membership claims with electoral performance.

Professor Yilwatda gave the warning during a meeting with State Registration Coordinators at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, as the electronic registration exercise enters its critical phase ahead of the January 30, 2026 deadline. He stressed that the exercise is not optional and must reflect the true strength of the party across all states and the Federal Capital Territory.

APC Coordinators Held Accountable for Membership Drive

At the meeting, the APC Chairman made it clear that the role of State Registration Coordinators is central to the success of the exercise and not merely ceremonial. He reminded the coordinators—most of whom are State Organising Secretaries—that their performance will be assessed strictly on their ability to ensure that every willing party member is registered.

Professor Yilwatda warned that failure would attract immediate consequences. According to him, any coordinator who does not achieve comprehensive registration in their state will be removed and replaced, as the responsibility is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the party’s growth and credibility. He described coordinators as the “foot soldiers” of the party, whose effectiveness directly determines the strength of APC at the grassroots.

He also called on State Party Chairmen to work closely with the coordinators, noting that elections are not won at the national secretariat but at the ward, local government, constituency, and state levels. The chairman emphasised that the overall performance of the party depends largely on the functionality and discipline of these subnational structures.

Electronic Registration as a Strategic Political Reform

Professor Yilwatda described the electronic membership registration as a strategic reform rather than a mere technical upgrade. He explained that, for a mass-membership party like the APC, credible data is essential for mobilisation, discipline, internal democracy, and electoral planning. He warned against discrepancies where the party claims millions of members in a state but records low votes during elections, describing such inconsistencies as unacceptable.

He disclosed that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has provided a conducive environment to ensure the success of all party programmes and has the constitutional authority to enforce compliance. As part of this enforcement, he warned that any State Executive Committee member who fails to register before the January 30, 2026 deadline will be removed from office.

The chairman also condemned any attempt to block or exclude party members from the registration process. He stated categorically that no chairman, coordinator, governor, or any other party official has the power to prevent a member from being registered, insisting that no APC member must be disenfranchised during the exercise.

Progress Update, Logistics, and Link to National Reforms

To ensure efficiency, Professor Yilwatda directed coordinators to use Android phones where tablets are unavailable, cautioning states against delaying the exercise while waiting for devices. He also advised against making the process unnecessarily expensive, noting that in his own state, registration officials were recruited from within their wards to reduce logistical challenges.

Providing an update on progress, he revealed that Delta State is currently leading the registration drive, followed by Lagos, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Plateau States. He encouraged other states to match the pace and commitment shown by the leading states, announcing that a comprehensive progress review would be conducted within five days.

The APC Chairman linked the electronic registration exercise to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing reforms, stressing that the party must reflect the same principles of modernisation, accountability, and data-driven decision-making. He noted that the initiative, the first of its kind by any political party in Nigeria, will deliver a credible, verifiable, and real-time membership database, improve campaign planning, eliminate fraud, and ensure that party resources are allocated based on accurate data.

In their response, the State Registration Coordinators commended Professor Yilwatda’s leadership and pledged their full commitment to the success of the exercise. They assured the party leadership that within the next two weeks, party structures at all levels would be revitalised and that they would deliver fully ahead of the deadline.