By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday inaugurated its Membership, Mobilization, Revalidation and Registration Committee, comprising
human rights activist, Mrs Aisha Yesufu and nineteen others.
The Committee, inaugurated at the headquarters of the ADC in Abuja, has Alhaji Kashim Imam as Chairman with Mrs Yesufu as Vice Chairman.
Speaking at the inauguration, former President of the Senate and National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark explained that the move was part of the ongoing effort to reposition the party for growth, strength and internal cohesion.
Mark made it crystal clear that no political party could aspire to national relevance without a strong, active, and properly documented membership.
According to him, “Membership is the lifeblood of any democratic organisation. It determines legitimacy, strength, reach, and ultimately, electoral victory”
The erstwhile Senate President pointed out that ADC was founded on the principles of justice, equity, accountability, and people-centered governance.
His words, “For these ideals to translate into political success, our party must rest on a solid, credible, and verifiable membership base, supported by effective mobilisation structures across the federation”.
The committee’s assignment, he explained, is to develop and implement a nationwide membership mobilisation strategy, with particular emphasis on the grassroots at the polling units, ward, local government, and state levels.
The committee, according to him, is also expected to develop the e-registration platform along with the manual register, as well as recommend to the party “standardised procedures and systems for continuous membership registration, revalidation, and data management.”
Mark stressed further that the exercise is aimed at repositioning the party to meet the expectations of Nigerians, who yearn for credible leadership and democratic governance.
The committee, which has 30 days to submit an interim report to the ADC National Working Committee (NWC), is expected to harmonise existing membership data and records of the party, in collaboration with state chapters with a view to eliminating duplication, inconsistencies, and irregularities.
Mark harped on the need for the committee members to approach their assignment without bias, favoritism, or exclusion, “bearing in mind that unity and credibility are the foundation upon which the future of the ADC will be built.”
He made it pointedly clear that the exercise is not about exclusion, but inclusion, strengthening and organising the party.
He explained that the new membership cards of the party have security features and are also specific to the respective states and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In his response, the Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Kashim Imam, expressed the firm optimism that ADC is going to be a different political party, with a pledge that the committee will discharge its duties to the best of its ability.
His words, “Most importantly, we will return the African Democratic Congress to the average Nigerian.Our party, the ADC, is a grassroots movement. For too long, the average Nigerian been cheated (and) marginalised.
“We will endeavour to ensure that we invite the peasants, the ordinary Nigerian, the masses, the poor and the downtrodden, to take charge, to take responsibility, to assume ownership of the ADC,”he said.
