The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is targeting at least 800 out of the 1.5 million non-indigenes in the state in the party’s on-going nationwide membership registration exercise.

This was disclosed on Saturday, February 8, by the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Barrister Chuma Chinye, while addressing a meeting of Stakeholders, State Officials and 23 Local Government Co-ordinators of the Non-Indigenes Political Forum (NIPF) of the State APC in Port Harcourt.

Barrister Chinye, who is the Leader of the Forum, said: “Our target in the ongoing APC membership drive is to ensure that we get 800 out of the 1.5m non indigenes resident in Rivers State and with enough commitment we can achieve that.”

The commissioner, who hails from Delta State, directed members that any non-indigene residing in Rivers State who is not registered should be deregistered from the Forum, warning that any such person would find it difficult getting the state government’s patronage.

“Politics these days is a serious business and we are not playing with the idea of ensuring that the APC forms the government come 2015 both in the state and at the national level. We have the number, we have the drive and we can’t afford to allow all that Gov. Chibuike Amaechi has achieved these past six years to be wasted by the misguided PDP elements, so we must not make the mistake of allowing them to form the next government come 2015 as that will be disastrous both to members and the state at large,” Barr. Chinye said.

Chief Uchenna Okokoba, Co-ordinator of the Forum, assured the Commissioner and all the stakeholders thus: “We will not sleep until the target of 800 membership is achieved. We are embarking from market to market starting from Ikoku, to Mile 3 to Mile 1 and Iron Market at Oyigbo. After that, we will embark upon house-to-house campaign if necessary to achieve our target.”

At the end of the meeting, registration materials were distributed to all the Local Government Co-ordinators while a seven-man Supervisory Committee was set up to oversee and monitor the success of the exercise. Members of the Supervisory Committee include Barr. Chuma Chinye as Chairman, Chief Ade Adeogun as Vice-Chairman, Chief Eze C Eze as Secretary, with David Iyofor, Chief Uchenna Okokoba, Chief Mrs Theresa Ijede and Alhaji Tanko Yusuf as members.

•Photo shows Governor Amaechi.