The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State has denied an allegation by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that it was secretly buying off voters cards from people who were persuaded to register with the party in the ongoing membership registration exercise in Anambra State.
APGA, had through the state-owned Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) warned eligible voters to avoid being disenfranchised by a political party, which it added, was asking people to submit their voters’ cards after registration.
Reacting to the allegation, the secretary of Anambra State APC Continuing Registration Committee, Mr. Ford Ozumba described the allegation as being neither here, nor there.
He noted that the committee’s specific mandate was to register new members and revalidate the membership of the old members and not to buy voters cards.
Ozumba said: “We are only here for the registration of new members, which is also taking place in other states and there are no such allegations in those states. The provision in the registration form requires identification of the would-be members and one could identify him or herself with either the national ID card, driving licence or the voters’ card.
“There is therefore no reason for us to buy the voters cards. We don’t even have money to buy people’s cards and this kind of rumour is not good for the development of democracy.”
Ozumba, however, hailed the decision of the committee members to register some stakeholders in their homes rather than at the public square where the exercise was taking place, adding that most of such stakeholders only had time for the exercise after their day’s work. He further described the exercise as successful so far. While observing that the exercise brought enthusiasm among the people of Anambra State who are eager to identify with APC, Ozumba reminded the people that the registration exercise had nothing to do with the party’s primaries as erroneously believed by some people.
He explained that though they would be in the state for only few weeks, the exercise would continue at the wards for those who did not register within the period of the exercise.
Source: News Express