E-REGISTRATION SETBACK: APC membership plummets from 41 million to 10 million nationwide

Sambo described the new membership figure as deeply inconsistent with what Nigerians were told by the APC leadership just a few years ago, especially in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suffered a major setback in its e-registration exercise, with official figures indicating a sharp decline in party membership from an estimated 41 million to just 10 million nationwide. The dramatic drop has raised concerns within the party over the effectiveness of the digital registration process and its implications for grassroots mobilisation ahead of future political contests.

Party sources say the e-registration initiative, introduced to modernise membership records and eliminate duplication, has instead exposed significant gaps in the party’s database, leading to the removal of millions of previously recorded members. The development has sparked debate among stakeholders, with some calling for an urgent review of the process to restore confidence and prevent further losses.

The APC leadership has yet to issue a detailed response, but analysts warn that the reduced membership figures could impact the party’s internal dynamics and electoral strength if not swiftly addressed.

The APC, Nigeria’s ruling political party, has therefore come under intense public and political scrutiny following the drastic drop of its registered membership from an earlier declared figure of 41 million to about 10 million members nationwide.

The revelation has sparked widespread debate, raising questions about the credibility of the party’s previous records, its internal data management processes, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s political landscape.

The controversy was brought to the fore by Sumner Sambo, Editor for Politics at Arise News, during a discussion on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday.

Sambo described the new membership figure as deeply inconsistent with what Nigerians were told by the APC leadership just a few years ago, especially in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

According to him, the sharp contrast between the old and new figures is not just a minor discrepancy but one that strikes at the heart of public trust in political parties and their claims of grassroots support.

From 41m to 10m: A startling contrast

Sambo reminded viewers that in March 2022, the APC had officially announced that it had successfully registered 41 million members across the country. The figure was unveiled at the time by the then chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, who was also the sitting governor of Yobe State. The announcement was widely publicised and presented as concrete evidence of the APC’s nationwide strength and popularity ahead of the 2023 elections.

However, the newly reported figure of about 10 million members has now thrown that narrative into doubt.

“So at what point in time did 41 million registered members now become 10 million members?” Sambo asked during the programme, expressing disbelief at the scale of the reduction. He noted that such a massive drop within a relatively short period raises legitimate questions about whether the earlier numbers were accurate in the first place.

For many political observers, the issue is not merely about numbers but about transparency and accountability. If the APC truly had 41 million registered members in 2022, critics argue, it is difficult to explain how more than 30 million members could simply disappear from the party’s register without a clear and convincing explanation.

Questions linked to the 2023 presidential election

Sambo also linked the membership controversy to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, which produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president. Tinubu won the election with approximately 8.7 million votes, a figure that, according to Sambo, appears incongruent with the APC’s earlier claim of having 41 million registered members.

“What was the result that President Tinubu had? He had about 8.7 million votes. So where were the 41 million registered members of the APC that the APC told us in 2022?” he asked.

While it is widely understood that party membership does not automatically translate into votes—due to factors such as voter apathy, internal party divisions, and turnout challenges—the wide gap between the claimed membership figure and actual votes cast has nonetheless fuelled suspicion.

Some analysts argue that the discrepancy lends weight to earlier concerns raised before the elections, when critics accused the APC of inflating its membership figures to project dominance and influence public perception ahead of the polls.

Credibility and data integrity under the spotlight

The sudden revision of the APC’s membership numbers has placed the party’s credibility under the spotlight. Sambo suggested that the ruling party may owe Nigerians an apology for what he described as misleading claims made in the past.

“APC owes Nigerians an apology for having told us that they had 41 million members in 2022 only for us to see that that was not the situation,” he said.

He further described the current stance of the party’s national chairman—who has reportedly set a new registration target of 20 million members—as a more conservative and realistic approach compared to the earlier declarations. To Sambo, this suggests an implicit admission that the 41 million figure may have been exaggerated or poorly verified.

The episode has also reignited broader conversations about how political parties in Nigeria collect, store, and manage membership data. In a country with over 90 million registered voters, inflated or poorly maintained party registers can distort public discourse and undermine confidence in democratic institutions.

Digital Registration: A step in the right direction?

Despite his sharp criticism, Sambo acknowledged a positive development in the APC’s latest membership drive: the adoption of digital tools and technology for registration.

“The good thing that we’re having here is that APC is adopting technology to register its members,” he said, noting that if properly implemented, the move could significantly improve transparency, accuracy, and accountability.

Digital registration systems, analysts say, have the potential to eliminate duplicate entries, reduce manipulation, and provide real-time data that can be independently audited. For a party as large and influential as the APC, such reforms could help rebuild public trust and set a new standard for political organisation in Nigeria.

However, critics caution that technology alone is not a magic solution. Without clear oversight mechanisms, independent verification, and a genuine commitment to transparency, even digital systems can be abused or misrepresented.

Political Implications for the Ruling Party
The membership controversy comes at a sensitive time for the APC, as political activities gradually begin to gear up toward the 2027 general elections. Party strength, unity, and public perception will play a crucial role in determining its ability to retain power amid growing economic challenges, security concerns, and public dissatisfaction in some quarters.

Opposition parties have already begun seizing on the issue as evidence of what they describe as the APC’s declining popularity and internal inconsistencies. For them, the drop from 41 million to 10 million members is symbolic of a broader erosion of confidence in the ruling party.

Within the APC itself, the revelation may also trigger internal debates about leadership, strategy, and the need for reforms. Party insiders who spoke anonymously say the new registration exercise is partly aimed at cleaning up inflated records inherited from previous administrations within the party.

A Test of Transparency Going Forward
Ultimately, the unfolding debate over APC’s membership figures is shaping up to be more than just a numbers game. It is a test of how willing Nigeria’s ruling party is to confront past inconsistencies, embrace transparency, and rebuild credibility with the electorate.

As Sambo’s comments continue to resonate across the political space, many Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether the APC can convincingly explain the drastic drop in its membership figures, or whether the issue will remain a lingering question mark over the party’s claims of mass support.

For now, one thing is clear: the gap between 41 million and 10 million has opened up a new front in Nigeria’s political discourse, one that could have lasting implications for party politics and public trust in the years ahead.