PDP REGISTERS OVER 4.2 MILLION MEMBERS IN DIGITAL DRIVE, SAYS NIGERIANS TRUST PARTY DESPITE TRIALS

The Peoples Democratic Party has announced that it registered over 4.2 million members in its ongoing digital membership registration exercise, describing the figure as evidence that millions of Nigerians continue to trust the party despite recent challenges. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, disclosed this during a press briefing on the interim outcome of the e-registration exercise and other matters.

According to the party, data on its portal showed that Ward Registration Agents recorded a total of 4,264,675 members as at midnight of March 31, 2026. Ememobong noted that the process was scheduled to last for three weeks and was described as herculean, but he said nothing beats the prepared mind. He commended those who had kept faith despite the challenges faced in the recent past, stating, “This, for us, is a constant reminder of the responsibility that we carry to ensure that the political future of these millions of Nigerians is not put in jeopardy, nor their decision made to be subservient to another party, especially the All Progressives Congress. If they wanted to join the ruling party, they would have easily registered with them, with the numerous enticements that are usually concomitant with registering there.”

The party’s spokesman argued that the registration figures demonstrated that politicians were defecting, not the electorate. He said, “These Nigerians, in their millions, have heeded that time-tested spiritual injunction cautioning people against joining the broad pleasurable path that leads to destruction, admonishing instead that we use the narrow road which leads to emancipation. Today, by desperate manipulation and serpentine deceit, many political office holders have been cajoled, coerced, and conned into joining the APC and abandoning the political platforms that saw them through to power. They have chosen to see political platforms as mere vehicles that convey them from their base to power, and when they arrive at their destination, they can alight at will and board another one that chauffeurs them around the seat of power. This digital membership registration has shown clearly that the politicians are defecting, not the electorate.”

Breaking down the data, the PDP revealed that the average registration at the polling unit level was 24 members, with an average of 484 members in each of the 8,809 wards across the 774 local governments of Nigeria. Male members stood at 2,336,069, outnumbering females by a little above nine percent, with female membership at 1,928,606. In terms of age demographics, young people aged 18 to 40 constituted 40.3 percent of the entire registration, while those aged 41 to 60 years made up 30.7 percent, and persons 61 years and above accounted for 28.9 percent. The party noted that this indicated acceptance across all age levels, with young people outnumbering other age groups.

From a geographic perspective, the South West led with 953,954 members, followed closely by the South South with 917,652 members, trailed by the North Central with 757,502 members. The North West recorded 754,935 members, the North East had 646,305 members, and the South East recorded 234,327 members. Kaduna State had the highest registrants with 408,915 members, followed by Edo State with 378,033 members, trailed by Oyo State with 368,204 members. Ogun and Kano recorded 316,311 and 275,786 members respectively.

Ememobong described the registration figures as a show of confidence by millions of Nigerians and said the party leadership had a responsibility to protect and safeguard their future. He criticized the Tinubu-led APC federal government, stating that Nigerians were dissatisfied with the current maladministration, where killings and insecurity had become the new normal. He also faulted the President’s response time to recent mass killings.

The party announced the extension of the registration period to April 30, 2026, due to humongous pressures and the need to accommodate as many people as possible. Ememobong reiterated that the registration was free and urged all party members to ensure they were properly registered on the new digital platform.

He also cautioned Nigerians against persons he described as agents and proxies of the APC masquerading as PDP members while having endorsed President Tinubu for a second term. He stated, “The PDP is an opposition party and cannot and will not become an appendage of, or subservient to, the APC. Those who truly love and want to support the President should do well to leave other political parties and join the President’s party. Any political hybridization is impossible, especially with the PDP, as the umbrella and broom are not usually found together.”

He reassured supporters that the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee would continue to take all necessary steps to rescue the party from self-seeking anti-democratic forces determined to hold the party for the APC, adding, “This shall not happen; neither shall it come to pass.”