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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has recorded a dramatic increase in its ongoing e-registration exercise, with at least 122,000 members now registered on the party’s portal.
The exercise, which was formally flagged off on January 12, 2026, by Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, saw the governor register first with membership number 001 at his country home in Vandeikya Local Government Area. Five days later, on January 17, the state caretaker committee chairman, Benjamin Omale, also completed his registration in Ohimini LGA.
Initial reports indicated slow uptake. Between January 12 and January 22, only about 33,000 members had registered, with some party agents facing resistance and even being chased out of certain wards.
The turning point came following a directive issued on Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who instructed party stakeholders across the state to intensify mobilisation and ensure members register en masse.
Spokesperson for the Austin Agada-led State Working Committee loyal to the SGF, Daniel Ihomun, told The PUNCH that the intervention produced immediate results. “The exercise started early January, but only about 33,000 members had registered because party members were initially reluctant. In some wards, state government agents were even chased out. Everything changed three days ago when our leader, the SGF, ordered stakeholders to mobilise members in their respective wards. Between Thursday and Saturday, the number jumped to over 122,000, and the figure continues to rise,” Ihomun said.
Confirming the updated figures, James Ornguga, spokesperson for the state caretaker committee loyal to Governor Alia, stated that the portal had recorded 122,000 registrations by Saturday night, with numbers likely higher by Sunday afternoon. He dismissed rumours of parallel registration exercises, insisting there is only one official portal and all data is consolidated there.
“There is only one portal, and all data is consolidated there. The state government deployed 870 agents, and the SGF sent 552 agents. There is no parallel registration; we are working together,” Ornguga explained.
Both spokespersons acknowledged the collaborative support provided by Governor Alia and SGF Akume, including the supply of essential registration equipment such as printers, laptops, phones, power banks, and internet connections to facilitate the process across the state.
The sharp surge in registrations is viewed as a significant boost for the APC in Benue ahead of future political activities, demonstrating the impact of high-level mobilisation and coordination between the state government and federal stakeholders aligned with the party. The exercise remains ongoing, with party leaders urging all eligible members to complete registration promptly to strengthen the APC’s grassroots structure in the state.
