The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has commenced repositioning for next year’s general elections with the inauguration of the Membership, Mobilization, Revalidation and Registration Committee.
The 20-man committee is headed by Kashim Imam with human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu as Deputy.
ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark who inaugurated the committee on Wednesday, said it was part of the ongoing effort to reposition the party for growth, strength and internal cohesion.
“Membership is the lifeblood of any democratic organisation. It determines legitimacy, strength, reach, and ultimately, electoral victory,” Mark stated, adding that no political party could aspire to national relevance without a strong, active, and properly documented membership.
The former President of the Senate noted that ADC was founded on the principles of justice, equity, accountability, and people-centered governance.
“For these ideals to translate into political success, our party must rest on a solid, credible, and verifiable membership base, supported by effective mobilisation structures across the federation,” he added.
Mark said the committee’s assignment is to develop and implement a nationwide membership mobilisation strategy, with particular emphasis on the grassroots at the polling units, ward, local government, and state levels.
The committee, he added, is also expected to develop the e-registration platform along with the manual register, as well as recommend to the party “standardised procedures and systems for continuous membership registration, revalidation, and data management.”
He added that the exercise is to reposition the party to meet the expectations of Nigerians, “who yearn for credible leadership and democratic governance.”
The committee which has 30 days to submit an interim report to the ADC National Working Committee (NWC), Mark added, will harmonise existing membership data and records of the party, in collaboration with state chapters “to eliminate duplication, inconsistencies, and irregularities.”
He charged them to approach their assignment without bias, favoritism, or exclusion, “bearing in mind that unity and credibility are the foundation upon which the future of the ADC will be built.”
The former Senate President emphasised that the exercise is not about exclusion, but inclusion, strengthening and organising the party.
According to him, the new membership cards of the party have security features and are also specific to the respective states and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Chairman of the committee, Imam, said ADC is going to be a different political party, and promised that the committee discharge its duties to the best of its ability.
“Most importantly, we will return the African Democratic Congress to the average Nigerian.
“Our party, the ADC, is a grassroots movement.
“For too long have the average Nigerian been cheated (and) marginalised.
“We will endeavour to ensure that we invite the peasants, the ordinary Nigerian, the masses, the poor, the downtrodden, to take charge, to take responsibility, to assume ownership of the ADC,” he assured.
