The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has refuted claims that local government chairmen are coercing government workers to register or revalidate their membership with the party as a condition for receiving their salaries, describing the allegation as false and politically motivated propaganda.
Dr. Ben Nwoye, Chairman of the APC’s Caretaker Committee in Enugu State, dismissed the claims while speaking to journalists on Tuesday during the revalidation of membership of the party’s immediate past state chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, at Udi/Agbudu Ward in Udi Local Government Area.
According to Nwoye, the ongoing revalidation and registration drive throughout the state has been voluntary, huge, and far beyond expectations, recruiting party members and sympathizers without any sort of coercion.
“Look at what is happening here today. Do you see anyone being forced? Nobody here is under pressure. People are participating freely,” he said.
“The opposition will always come up with propaganda. When you don’t have progressive ideas, the easiest thing is to spread false stories. No government worker is being forced to register with APC,” he added.
He noted that verifiable figures from the party’s registration dashboard indicate Enugu State is now topping the South-East zone in the ongoing exercise, with Udi Local Government Area ranking first out of the state’s 17 local government areas.
Nwoye credited the development to party unity and increased support for Governor Peter Mbah’s administration.
He stated that, while certain registration statistics were still being uploaded due to network issues in remote regions, the current records already showed Enugu at the top of the region.
Earlier, when renewing his membership, Agballah asked party members to be faithful to the APC and its leadership, emphasizing the importance of party discipline and inclusiveness in electoral victory.
He stressed the importance of massive registration, describing party membership as a key determinant of victory at the polls.
“The registration is critical to our victory. If we have two million registered members, that means two million votes,” Agballah said, calling on party supporters and sympathizers to mobilize people at the ward level.
He restated his support for the current APC leadership structure in the state, praising Governor Peter Mbah for inclusive leadership and good dispute resolution within the party.
Several party stakeholders attended the revalidation event, including state parliamentarians, local government officials, and party leaders, highlighting what APC officials termed as renewed unity and vigor ahead of future elections.
