North West APC Decries Low Voter Registration

North West zonal office of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has expressed worry over the low registration of voters from the region.

The party however committed to engaging in massive sensitisation to change the situation.

The APC national vice chairman (North West) Malam Salihu Lukman who expressed concern over the situation, said the statistics shows more work needs to be done to put the party in a good winning position in the 2023 general elections.

Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday after he met with state APC state chairmen from the Northwest zone, Lukman said the party has decided to immediately set up situation rooms so as to be abreast with the voter registration exercise and take steps to mobilise people to ensure they register.

According to him, “This is to brief you about some of the initiatives we have taken in order to reorganise the activities of the party in the zone and commence the business of mobilisation towards the 2023 election.

“The women leaders of the state met on the continuing strategy to develop stronger relationships between the zonal office of the party and the state offices, and we also had a meeting with state Chairmen of the party. Interestingly, the decisions taken by the women somehow corresponded with the decisions taken by the state chairmen.

“Centrally, it is about some of the worries all of us have, and every party leader has that worry about the fact that the statistics coming out from voter registration are still worrisome and we need to do everything possible to correct that.

“We have decided immediately to work in each state to set up what we call ‘ situation room’ to understand specifically the situation with voter registration exercises and accordingly take steps to mobilize people to ensure they register.

“In that respect we also have agreed together with the chairmen in each of the states and other leaders of the party, we would look at ways and means of establishing stronger relationships with INEC officials.

“This is because we understand there are areas where the registration is low, largely because the necessary logistical requirements which are to be provided by INEC, not any other person, have not been provided. We would take all the appropriate steps to ensure that is done.

“We are appealing to the general public, especially our members and supporters, to really do everything necessary to ensure that the issue of voter registration is giving adequate priority. This is because unless we have people with registered Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), our support would not make sense,” he stressed.