… party says exercise has recorded one million people show interest
Olusola Bello
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday kicked off the pilot scheme of its electronic registration and revalidation of members, to take off in Anambra, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Adamawa and Sokoto State, among other states.
Embattled national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, speaking at the opening ceremony in Abuja, urged other parties to embrace online registration, stating that the e-registration would deepen the process of internal democracy in the party.
“The country must migrate from analogue to digital because data is key to development, proper planning and a country’s ability to attract development from the global community.
“As a party, we cannot do otherwise; we are operating in the social media space and cannot do without data,” Mr Secondus said.
Mr Secondus added that online registration would provide Nigerians, especially the youths, with a transparent platform to exercise their democratic potential.
“In the days of analogue, a person doesn’t get registered if those in charge do not like the face; that person will be denied membership. All that has been eliminated,” he added.
Also speaking, chairman of the Board of Trustee of the party, Walid Jibrin, said the PDP had demonstrated that it was ready for the 2023 general elections with the e-registration.
He assured Nigerians that the crisis rocking the party would soon be resolved and the party would come out stronger.
“We have spent so many sleepless nights in ensuring that we resolve the crisis within our party to make it great again and also take advantage of the failures of the opposition,” Mr Jibrin stated.
Kola Ologbondiyan, national publicity secretary of the party in a remark, stated that more than a million Nigerians had indicated interest to join the party, less than 24 hours after the logo of the party was put online during the test run.
Austin Akobundu, national organising secretary, said sensitisation was ongoing to ensure that members across the country, including those at the grassroots, got registered.