E-registration: APC Bigwigs Converge On Osoba’s Home To Strategise
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun Central Senatorial District on Monday emphasised the need for the party to close ranks and run inclusive leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The leaders spoke during the maiden meeting of the Ogun Central Senatorial District, held at the Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, residence of a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba.
They stressed that the party must maintain unity and mobilise more members to ensure success in 2027.
The meeting, presided over by the APC Chairman of the senatorial district, Mr Sunday Sowunmi, was attended by the senator representing the district, Shuaib Salisu; the member representing Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Afolabi Afuape; the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Daisi Elemide; and a former Speaker, Tunji Egbetokun.
Others present included a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Sarafadeen Tunji Ishola; Dr Sikurulahi Ogundele, a former PDP chairman in the state; a former senator, Gbenga Obadara; the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye; and the six local government chairmen in the senatorial district, led by the ALGON Chairman, Dr Folasade Adeyemo, among others.
Speaking with journalists, Salisu said the meeting was convened to mobilise support for the party, reinforce unity, and drive membership growth through the ongoing e-registration exercise.
He said, “Overall, this was a unity meeting—designed to provide feedback, strengthen cohesion, and energise the Ogun Central Caucus. I am extremely pleased with the enthusiasm shown, especially regarding both INEC registration and APC membership registration.”
Speaking on the ongoing e-registration, the senator said the party did not have a fixed numerical target but noted that the progress recorded so far was encouraging.
He disclosed that a local government area had reportedly registered over 15,000 members within one week, adding that the party planned to register at least 50 to 51 per cent of the total registered voters in the state.
Salisu said, “At the moment, we do not have a fixed numerical target. What is encouraging, however, is the progress so far. For example, one local government area has already recorded about 15,000 registered members. If you extrapolate that figure across the 20 local governments, you can appreciate the scale of growth.
“The process is still ongoing, and by the time it is concluded, it will be evident that the APC is firmly positioned as the dominant party in the Central Senatorial District.
“Our broader objective is to ensure that, at a minimum, party membership reaches at least 50–51 per cent of the registered voters in the state. This does not even account for sympathisers who may be unable to register for various reasons.”
He urged party members to remain united and committed to strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He added, “The takeaway from this senatorial meeting is that the people should continue to mobilise and register with INEC and to enrol as APC members.
“We must also continue to support the President and the reforms being implemented—reforms which initially posed challenges but are now yielding visible results.
“We should also continue to support the state government, which is working to ensure the well-being of the people of the state in general and the Central District in particular.”
Salisu added that the ruling party would continue to prioritise inclusive leadership to ensure that all members had a sense of belonging.
Also speaking, Ishola urged the party to strengthen and prioritise unity as it prepares to sustain its winning streak in future elections.
The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development warned that disunity could threaten the party’s future ambitions.
He said, “Our President, Bola Tinubu, has always emphasised inclusive leadership. What matters most is that once we can bond and blend, then the election is taken care of. The unity of party members is crucial to having a very successful election.
“This will also help us to have very rancour-free primaries with everyone having a sense of belonging. I keep saying that no two individuals can man two polling booths on election day. Even a governor cannot handle two polling booths because the calls he would have to attend to from other polling booths will not even allow him do anything serious.
“Ogun State has over 6,000 polling booths, so we need one another, and we must therefore prioritise inclusive leadership at the grassroots and bring everyone on board to take the party to greater heights.”
Earlier, Sowunmi, called on members to continue serving the APC with integrity and renewed dedication to building a stronger party.