We’ve registered 4.2 million members— Turaki led PDP 

…. The masses not defecting with politicians

By Jude Opara, Abuja

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN has revealed that it has recorded a total of 4,264,675 (four million, two hundred and sixty-four thousand, six hundred and seventy five) members in the ongoing membership e-registration exercise.

National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of the party, Ini Ememobong stated this on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the interim outcome of the digital membership registration exercise as well as other issues.

Ememobong said despite the inconvenience of the very tight timeframe previously announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party was able to create the digital platform, mobilized human resources and went into the nooks and crannies of the rural and urban areas to sensitize the people.

He also waved aside the continuous defection of some notable political heavyweights like governors and members of the National Assembly from the opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); insisting that it’s only the politicians that are defecting while the electorates are not defecting with them.

A look at the registration from a geographic perspective shows that the South West is leading with 953,954 members, followed closely by the South South with 917,652 members, then the North Central with 757,502 members, the North West has 754,935 members, while the North East has 646,305, and the South East recorded 234,327 members.

The NPS while speaking on the possibility of a reconciliation with the other PDP faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ememobong said while that option is still open, the party will not abandon its teeming supporters to join forces with those who though claim to be PDP members are openly working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“While our members are clearly more than this number, it is needful to commend those who have kept faith despite the current challenges we have faced in the recent past. This, for us, is a constant reminder of the responsibility that we carry to ensure that the political future of these millions of Nigerians is not put in jeopardy, nor their decision made to be subservient to another party, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC). If they wanted to join the ruling party, they would have easily registered with them, with the numerous enticements that are usually concomitant with registering there.

“These Nigerians, in their millions, have heeded that time-tested spiritual injunction cautioning people against joining the broad pleasurable path that leads to destruction, admonishing instead that we use the narrow road which leads to emancipation.

“Today, by desperate manipulation and serpentine deceit, many political office holders have been cajoled, coerced, and conned into joining the APC and abandoning the political platforms that saw them through to power. They have chosen to see political platforms as mere vehicles that convey them from their base to power, and when they arrive at their destination, they can alight at will and board another one that chauffeurs them around the seat of power. This digital membership registration has shown clearly that the politicians are defecting, not the electorate”.

Ememobong further revealed that the online membership registration exercise will continue till the end of April because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also extended the time from for the submission of the list to 21 days before the party primary.

However, the NPS states that with what the party has done, it’s ready to submit the list at any time because it organized its activity in March a way that there was an interface with the party before any member could be registered. He equally said the party recorded members in each of the 8,809 wards of the federation.

He urged all PDP members across the country to ensure they conclude their registration, even as he reiterated that the exercise totally free.