…Yilwatda, Argungu, Rijau Lead Tech-Driven Reform, as States Face Compliance Heat
By Joy Odor, Abuja
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday fired the opening salvo in what officials described as “a defining digital transformation”, a full-scale electronic membership registration drive designed to clean up its records, end paper-based politicking, and reposition the party for 2027.
The initiative, formally launched at a Train-the-Trainers Workshop in Abuja under the supervision of the National Working Committee (NWC), aimed to digitize, verify, and centralize every member of the ruling party across the 36 states and the FCT.
Declaring the session open at Amor Hotel, the National Organizing Secretary, H.E. Muhammad Sulaiman Argungu (OFR), called the move “a transformational reform that will redefine how political parties operate in Nigeria.”
“We are building a smarter, stronger, and more transparent APC, one that runs on systems, not sentiments,” Argungu declared, to thunderous applause.
He said the electronic registration was “the most ambitious organizational reform in the party’s ten-year history”, one that would strengthen accountability, deepen internal democracy, and consolidate APC’s reach before the next general elections.
Under the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Argungu said, the party was becoming “data-driven, people-centred and digitally competent.”
Explaining the details, Argungu described the new digital platform as the “backbone of APC’s modernization agenda.”
“Our goal is to build an efficient, transparent, and inclusive system that reflects the true strength and spread of our great party across Nigeria,” he said.
The programme, he noted, would:
Create a verifiable digital database of APC members nationwide;
Eliminate duplication and ghost entries;
Enhance transparency in primaries and congresses;
Strengthen coordination between the National Secretariat and state chapters, and provide a credible tool for election planning ahead of 2027.
“This is not just registration, it’s transformation,” Argungu emphasized. “A strong party must be built on data, not declarations.”
According to Argungu, the workshop’s central aim was to equip state and FCT chairmen, the custodians of the party’s subnational structure with the skills and leadership framework to execute the registration rollout.
“Your leadership will determine the success of this exercise,” he charged. “You must guide, supervise, and ensure fairness and inclusivity in your states.”
He directed the Chairmen to mobilize members, guarantee transparency, and maintain real-time communication with the national secretariat.
“We are relying on your commitment to deliver credible data that truly reflects our strength,” he said.
At the workshop, the National Organizing Secretary revealed early figures from the pilot rollout, an unmistakable reality check.
Argungu did not mince words:
“Some States have failed to act since our Lagos signing last month. Out of 36 States, several have yet to begin full implementation. That is unacceptable.”
He warned that the e-membership roll will be the sole benchmark for determining the APC’s true numerical strength before 2027.
“Before the last election, we claimed millions of members,” he reminded. “But the votes told a different story. This time, we want the truth not talk.”
A new directive now makes possession of a valid voter’s card a prerequisite for registration.
“If you register without a voter’s card, you are not useful to the party,” Argungu said bluntly. “Real members vote.”
He urged state leaders to mobilize only eligible voters and ensure that digital registration is completed at the ward level before the end of the first quarter of 2026.
The National Organizing Secretary revealed APC has begun daily digital monitoring of each state’s progress.
“We are setting the standard for political organization in Africa,” Argungu said. “A party that leads by example, not just in government, but in governance.”
He praised President Tinubu and Professor Yilwatda for their reformist resolve, and thanked the E-Registration Implementation Committee and technical partners for “tireless dedication to modernization.”
Despite the APC’s claim of “over five million members,” insiders admit that only a fraction have validated their data.
The new system, Rijau said, will separate fact from fiction, cleaning the rolls before campaign season begins.
“We are not just collecting names, we are collecting trust,” he said. “This reform will restore confidence, credibility, and discipline within the APC.”
As the session closed, the refrain across the hall was unmistakable: “Move, move, move!”
“Let’s build a stronger, smarter, and more united APC, a party that embodies progress, innovation, and the hopes of millions of Nigerians,” Argungu declared.
Speaking on behalf of the National Chairman, Professor Yilwatda, the National Vice Chairman (North Central), Alhaji Muazu Bawa Rijau, described the project as “a new dawn of accountability and modernization.”
“For the APC to remain truly progressive and people-oriented, digital transformation is not a choice, it is a necessity,” Rijau warned.
He told the gathering that the e-registration drive was designed to eliminate duplication, strengthen transparency, and institutionalize accountability in the party’s membership structure.
“This is not just a database project,” he said. “It’s the backbone of a credible, efficient, and responsive political organization.”
“We are not just counting members. We are counting believers in the vision of a new Nigeria.”
The APC’s digital registration rollout marks a watershed moment in Nigerian political organization.
Whether it becomes a model of internal democracy or exposes long-standing weaknesses will depend on how fast state chairmen act.
For now, one thing is clear: the era of paper politics is over. The APC has gone digital and it intends to stay ahead.
