Even though it is in opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stated on Wednesday that it is still Africa’s largest political party.
The party made the announcement while launching its e-registration committee, which will be led by Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki and will make it easier for party members to register across the country.
The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, who inaugurated the Committee, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop limiting Nigerians’ ability to express themselves.
The call to President Buhari was made against the backdrop of a Twitter ban.
Secondus said: “When we say that PDP is the largest party in the continent, we are not grandstanding but stating the obvious, there is no nook and cranny of this country that you won’t find PDP members.
“In 2019 general election, the PDP was the only political party that fielded candidates in all the positions: presidency, governorship, Senate and House of Representatives and in all the 36 states Houses of Assembly.
“Even in states where we are not in power, our members still out number even the ruling party in such states.
“We are the only party since inception in 1998 that has been consistent in name, motto, manifestos and logo”
Insisting that there is need for the party to digitalize its membership for proper database, Secondus said e- registration is a project that is very dear to the party and has been on the card since 2010.
He said: “Reports we get across the country shows that many more Nigerians want to belong to this party and this program will provide them such opportunity.”
He told the chairman of the Committee and governor of Edo State, Obaseki and the Vice Chairman, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State that “in appointing you as the Chairman of this project, the party took into consideration your background and your love for data and record keeping.
According to him ;”We have absolute confidence that you and your team will deliver in this assignment that is expected to update the data base of our party across the country.
“Membership registration into our party is a continuous programme, what we are embarking on is to digitalize it for proper analysis of issues.
“The place of women and youths in our party cannot be over emphasized and this program is going to help toward proper planning in our party.
“Your Excellencies, leaders of our party here present, before I inaugurate this August body, may I use this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC party to immediately unban the micro blogging Twitter and stop limiting Nigerians from expressing themselves.”
The Committee chairman, Gov. Obaseki promised that the committee will reach out to PDP members across the nation, adding that it is very worthy that “our party being a big party has decided to digitalized membership and position the party to take over in 2023.”
He promised the party leaders that the exercise will be all inclusive, adding that the Committee will leverage on the existing platform of the party and produced a membership register that the party will be proud of.
Members of the committee include, the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, Agbi Emmanuel, Prof. Wale Oladipo, Sani Kutigi, Cyril Maduabum, Hon. Austin Opara while the National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) serve as Secretary to the Committee.
