Low turn-out, insufficient materials mar APC registration

Two days after the All Progressive Congress (APC) began its nationwide membership registration, low turn-out and complains of inadequate registrations materials have marred the exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Blueprint correspondent who went round the city yesterday observed that many residents were not informed about the exercise ongoing exercise.
When our reporter visited Wuse zone 6, around 12 noon, there was no sign of any registration going on as it was learnt that the registration officer had to live the venue due to lack of material.

Also, at the development control registration centre few people were seen waiting for registration.
One of the APC supporters waiting to be registered at the centre, Mr. Gbenga Adelakun, expressed disappointment over the turn-out, blaming the APC leadership of poor awareness.
He said: “I must confess to you that this is not our expectation, this turn-out is not impressive at all compare to other state of the federation where there were reports of large turn-out.”

Our reporter spent more than 30 minutes at Pilot Primary school, Wuse Zone 5, around 1.15pm, before three persons came to register.
Speaking, one of the AMAC interim party officials, Mr. IK Ihegarie, at the venue, he said: “Wuse is a city centre and most of the residents are civil servants, so you can’t compare the city with rural areas where you have observed large turn-out.”
He agreed that “yes, we are lacking registration materials because the number of materials given to us are very small compare to people that want to register.”

He added that there was no low turn-out as claimed, saying that in Wuse alone there were about 35 polling booths “and all our members are there registering people, so you cannot say there is low turn out here.”
When contacted, the APC interim publicity Secretary in the FCT, Mr. Yakubu Mohammed Adamu, said he was not aware of any registration centre lacking materials.

“The basic truth is that materials have been distributed to every center but if there is a complaint, I have not heard.”

By Bode Olagoke