The All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted manual registration for party members in parts of the North East, North West and North Central regions affected by insecurity and the destruction of telecommunications infrastructure by insurgents and bandits.

The National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja, where he addressed concerns surrounding the ongoing nationwide electronic membership registration exercise.

Daily Trust reports that moves by the APC to electronically register its members ahead of the 2027 general elections had stalled for nearly two years, amid internal power play and leadership transition.

But recently, the party commenced the exercise after training its states chairmen and secretaries in Abuja.

Bashiru explained that while the APC is deploying an online registration system nationwide, exceptions are being made for areas where internet connectivity is unavailable due to security challenges.

According to him, members in such locations will be registered manually, with their details later uploaded in areas with network access.

“In areas where there are challenges, the data of intending members will be taken manually and uploaded later where there is access to data. This ensures that no member of our party is denied the opportunity to register because of insecurity or infrastructure failure,” he said.

The APC scribe revealed that the party has already registered over two million members within seven days of the exercise, describing the turnout as incredible.

He noted that the figure continues to rise as registrations are uploaded in real time on the party’s server, expressing optimism that the number will rise to eight million by next week.

Bashiru added that the digital registration process enhances data integrity, as registration requires verifiable details such as a valid phone number linked to a name and a voter registration number, making it impossible to input fictitious names.

Bashiru further clarified that the registration exercise is not being launched simultaneously across all states, as each state has been given the flexibility to commence when fully ready.

“While some states have already flagged off, others are expected to begin and upload their data in the coming days,” he said.

On concerns about inclusion, Bashiru stressed that the party’s leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that no individual or group should be excluded from the exercise.

“This registration is open to all. No faction, group or interest is barred. Once you meet the requirements, you can register in the ward where you intend to participate politically,” he said.

He, however, declined to answer a question from our correspondent which sought a state-by-state breakdown of the two million figure “already registered”, describing such data as the party’s “internal trade secrets.”

Bashiru noted that the APC remains a pan-Nigerian party with strong structures across all regions. (Daily Trust)