APC Ignites 2027 Campaign With Relaunched Membership Drive, Drawing Opposition Fire

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the reopening of its electronic membership registration exercise nationwide, commencing on August 31, 2026, in anticipation of the 2027 general elections. This exercise, scheduled to be conducted across all wards throughout the country, will serve a dual purpose: enabling existing party members to validate their membership records and encouraging new and intending members to register and join the party. Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, confirmed this development in a statement, urging all party stakeholders, supporters, and members to actively participate in the process.

Morka elaborated that the electronic registration initiative is strategically designed to digitize the party’s membership register, thereby improving the integrity and accuracy of its records. Furthermore, it aims to provide more efficient access to membership data, which is crucial for effective planning and informed management decisions. The initiative is also intended to promote internal democracy within the party and reinforce its commitment to democratic innovation in Nigeria. The APC emphasized that prospective registrants must be at least 18 years old and possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN). This reopening follows the party’s previous closure of its electronic registration on February 8, 2026, which occurred ahead of its congresses and elective national convention.

The APC’s announcement, however, has been met with significant reactions and criticisms from opposition parties. Both the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Labour Party (LP) expressed their views, noting that they had not suspended their own digital registration processes since their inception earlier in the year, thus boasting a superior digital imprint compared to the APC. Osa Director, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, highlighted that the NDC, as a digital party, maintains continuous registration, only pausing the exercise when submitting its digital register to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Similarly, Ken Asogwa, the LP National Publicity Secretary, stated that the Labour Party’s electronic membership registration has remained continuously open, with its portal never shutting down, and that the party targets a broader demographic beyond its card-carrying members.

Adding to the criticism, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Grassroots Mobilisation Network (GMN) questioned the true significance of the APC’s decision. Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, cautioned that the number of registered party members does not automatically translate into votes, emphasizing that elections are ultimately determined by the electorate, not just party membership figures. He expressed concern that large membership figures might not reflect actual electoral strength and warned against any potential use of the exercise to manipulate the elections. The GMN’s Deputy Secretary General, Sadiq Adamu Lwafu, went further, accusing the ruling party of reopening its membership registration as part of an alleged scheme to manipulate the 2027 general elections. Despite these allegations, Lwafu affirmed that the GMN remains committed to expanding its support base and engaging Nigerians across political divides, including those who are reportedly dissatisfied with the country’s current direction.

The varied and strong reactions from different political entities underscore the heightened political landscape as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with party membership and digital registration becoming key points of contention and strategic debate.