A task team has been established by the All Progressives Congress to begin the immediate registration of students and revalidation of its members throughout the nation.
According to The PUNCH, the task force’s inauguration, which took place on Wednesday at the party’s Abuja headquarters, was said to be in response to Peter Obi’s online cult following as the former governor of Anambra State and candidate for the Labour Party’s presidential nomination.
To maintain his hopes of becoming president, Obi left the People’s Democratic Party for the Labour Party.
His growing profile and frugal lifestyle have ignited calls among his youthful supporters who have taken over the social media space with calls for a peaceful revolution through mass registration for permanent voters’ cards, jingles, and door-to-door campaigns ahead of the 2023 election.
Worried by the trend, the National Youth Leader of APC, Dayo Israel, on Wednesday announced the formation of a task force to immediately commence the registration and revalidation of students and youths in the country.
The task force has former Kwara State Commissioner for information, Ben Duntoye; APC Deputy National Youth Leader, Jamaldeen Kabir, and Director of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim as co-chairmen.
Others include former Member of the APC Board of Trustees, Rinsola Abiola; Commissioner of Federal Character Commission, Ginika Tor; Chief of Staff to the Minister of State, Mines and Steel, Kelechi Ekugo; Ogban Ogban, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ben Ayade; Aminu Uba, Special Assistant to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Irinoye Omolayo, Senior Legislative Aide to Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; North Central Zonal Youth Leader, Zubair Aliyu; North East Zonal Youth Leader, Jason Baba Kwaghe; North West Zonal Youth Leader, Abdulhamid Umar Mohd; South-South Zonal Youth Leader, Ebimobowei Oyas; South-East Zonal Youth Leader, Ikenna Anyalewechi and South-West Zonal Youth Leader, Lawal Kolade Paff among others.
Israel disclosed that the task force had been mandated to coordinate the registration and revalidation exercise of students and youths-led support groups into a recognisable structure.
“The structure will be strongly aligned with the objectives and strategic imperatives of the National Working Committee under the distinguished leadership of Senator Adamu Abdullahi.
“I have assembled these respected voices and party loyalists as members of APC Youth Wing National Special Task Force on Revalidation and Registration of APC youths and focused support groups.
“The revalidation of the affiliated youths and student support groups will be opened for a period of one month starting from Friday 1 to July 31. This move would also enable effective coordination, disciplined harmonization of activities in alignment with the party’s goals, aid provision and accountability, as well as efficient management and enhanced operations,” he said.
The APC national youth leader disclosed that as part of their task, the newly inaugurated team will collect phone numbers and email address lists of registered members and groups after validation of their PVCs, party membership cards and attestation from two guarantors.
