Kunle Adelabu & Wale Jagun
Lack of registration materials has prevented many old and new members that approached various registration points in Ikorodu Local Government to either join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or revalidate their membership of the party.
The exercise, which started on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, first experienced lull due to late arrival of Registration officers and materials at many of the Polling units that the exercise is taken place while there was improvement the following day (Wednesday, February 10, 2021) as there was massive turn-out of old and new members for the exercise.
It was gathered that the large turnout at most of the registration points was responsible for the exhaustion of the registration booklets each of which can only register 100 registrants.
We also gathered that the units can only be issued with a new booklet upon the presentation of the used ones but unfortunately, many of the registration units had ran out of the documents since Wednesday while they are waiting to be issued another ones.
THE IMPACT gathered that the situation reports across the polling units have been communicated to the Coordinators of the exercise in Ikorodu who have been making frantic efforts to get another batch of registration booklets for Ikorodu LG from the State House where they are being issued.
According to reports, most units in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council, as at Thursday, February 11,2021, had ran out of registration booklets. The same situation played out in Imota LCDA.
Some of those that spoke with THE IMPACT in Igbogbo/Bayeku and Imota LCDA, said that they planned to do their registration at the weekend because of the nature of their work which prevented them from registering during the week but that they were disappointed that there were no materials.
Hon. Azeez Jimoh Olosugbo, the Supervisor for the exercise in Ikorodu Constituency and former Council Leader, Ikorodu Local Government, speaking with our reporter on the registration exercise, said that they have made requests for more booklets and also confirmed lack of materials in most of the polling units.
“Only 100 booklets are given to each polling unit and they can only get another ones if those given to them are exhausted. That is the directive from the national body of our party”, he said.
“We have notified them appropriately and we gathered that the Governor of the state has written to that effect to the national body of our party that we need more registration booklets in Ikorodu.
“I am aware that they have exhausted their registration booklet in Ikorodu West LCDA while what is remaining in some parts of Ikorodu LG and Ikorodu North LCDA are not up to 50%.
He said that many of the polling units ran out of materials due to huge turnout of residents for the exercise which has proven that the ruling party is the only party in Ikorodu, adding that various units have been directed to get data from those registering, which will be transferred into the booklet when another sets are supplied.
“What we have resolved at is that our Registration officers should be getting data of those intending to register on the spreadsheet given to them which will be transferred into the booklets when we are eventually restocked this coming week.
Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, the APC Vice Chairman, Lagos East Senatorial District and Deputy APC Leader in Ikorodu, speaking with our reporter in an interview during week, said that revalidation of membership of the party is necessary for proper database.
The party chieftain stated that reports at his disposal implies that the turn – out is more than what the party expected while adding that it is also an opportunity for new members to join the party.
“Of course, as the first person in my community, I was the number on the line. I have done the revalidation/registration as an APC member”, he said while confirming the revalidation of his membership of the ruling party.
“It is good once in a while. It is like a population census. Some people will argue that why do we have to recount? It is good to recount so that we can authenticate the database.
“Between the last time the registration was done and now, many would have left our party and many would wish to be members of our party while many who did not care at that time will want to belong and participate, it is good to give them an opportunity.
“The registration is opened to everybody who wishes to identify with the progressives’ party.
“The exercise is going on smoothly in various wards and from the report that I have been getting, the turnout is huge and more than what was expected. In fact, most of the documents given to them for the exercise have been exhausted and they are waiting for a new supply”, Asipa Kaoli said.
The Chairman, Imota LCDA Hon. Wasiu Agoro, speaking with THE IMPACT in his office on Friday, February 12, 2021, described the turnout for the exercise in his council as impressive, stating that the situation was due to the sensitization they embarked upon after since party announced that the exercise would commence.
“The turnout has been impressive because my people have been looking forward to it since the announcement for the exercise was made by the party. Our people are well informed because we have been able to sensitise them to come out en masse to register and revalidate their membership of the party.
“Also, many of those that also defected from other parties are also being encouraged to register with our party and they are in large numbers. In Imota LCDA, we are almost a one – party council because other parties have merged with us. So, the registration exercise has given them the opportunity of becoming a full – fledged member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imota LCDA.
He also lamented the shortage of registration materials but said that they have resolved to getting details of intending party members in a book which will be transferred to the registration booklets when they are supplied.
“We are still expecting more materials from our party in Lagos but in other to give our people confidence and not turn them back from the registration point, we are trying to put their names down in a book which are going to be transferred into the registration booklets when we are eventually supplied and also call them to come back to either sign or thumb print as appropriate”, the Council Chairman said.
“We have already provided cameras at every registration point to capture our people’s photographs. That is what we trying to do starting from tomorrow (Saturday) in Imota, pending the time that there will be a booklet. We’ll discontinue that as soon as booklets are made available to us”.
Mr Fagbesan Mohammed, the Supervisor for Works and Infrastructures, Imota LCDA, who also spoke with our reporter on Friday, said that the exercise has been massive in Imota that has 43 Polling Units.
“The exercise started around 10.00am on Tuesday across the polling units in Imota and we thank God there has been a lot of turnout.
“We are happy that our members have been cooperating and mobilizing others to register as true members of APC.
“Since two days ago, many of our polling units were completely out of materials given to them. Presently, none of the units is functioning because of lack of materials”, he said.
Comrade Owoyemi Luqman Oladapo, an agent of the APC registration at Polling Unit 001, Owoyemi junction in Imota, in own remarks, said:
“It has been encouraging that the 100 booklets that we received were exhausted within two days and the situation is the same across the units in Imota. More people have also been coming since Thursday but we could not register them because we are out of materials. The impressive turn out but shows that many are well encouraged to register as APC members.
“Efforts have been put in place to get more booklets. Our supervisor, Hon. Sunday Benson, who happens to be the Vice Chairman of the party in Imota, has collated all the used booklets and took them to Ikorodu for submission and collection of more booklets because if you don’t submit the ones that have been filled up, you will not be given new ones.
“We are expecting new booklets so that more willing people can be registered”, he said.
