As the All Progressives Congress steps up efforts to strengthen its dominance ahead of the 2027 general elections, Sunday PUNCH investigation revealed that mass registration of new members has already commenced in several states across the federation.

This comes as no fewer than 11 state chapters of the party have pledged to deliver about 15 million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, as the race for the presidency gradually gathers momentum.

Speaking at the All Progressives Congress’ 14th National Executive Committee meeting held at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, President Tinubu harped on the need for membership expansion, grassroots mobilisation, and state-level support for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In what could be seen as part of a strategic mobilisation drive, the President noted that a committee comprising top chieftains and members of the party’s National Working Committee would be constituted to facilitate seamless mass registration of both old and new members across the federation.

“More members are still coming. So, if we accommodate the congresses in December, that will be making room for those who are still coming, as it is not a bad idea to abandon the sinking ship and be absent from a collision of confusion,” Tinubu said.

“To me, I will say that with the space we have created to allow the aspiring people to join us, our doors are still open, and we should embrace them wholeheartedly.

“If you look at it, before the end of this meeting, we would have a party of elders, as the new chairman wishes, to form a committee of National Working Committee members to move around the states in the country and ensure that those who had joined us enjoy the registration and membership of our party without any difficulty.”

The President also welcomed the Delta and Akwa Ibom State governors, Sheriff Oborevwori and Umo Eno, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, noting that the APC’s doors remain open for more defections from the opposition.

The new chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, also corroborated Tinubu’s assertions, noting that his leadership would “do the legwork” to bring members of the opposition into the ruling party.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, aired on Thursday evening’s edition of Politics Today, the new APC chairman said despite having 23 governors and 70 senators in the National Assembly, the party was still aiming higher.

“My job is to unite the party and to expand the party. We have 23 governors, and we are still counting. Our job is to bring more. We’ll do the legwork, we’ll bring them in,” he said.

Findings by Sunday PUNCH showed that mass online registration had already commenced in no fewer than seven states, including Ebonyi, Delta, Enugu, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, and Akwa Ibom; while other states were putting mechanisms in place for take-off.

This comes as several state chapters of the party, along with Pro-Tinubu support groups, have pledged millions of votes to secure the President’s re-election amid growing threats from the African Democratic Congress-led opposition coalition to wrest power in 2027.

Ebonyi leads the push

On Monday, the APC in Ebonyi State announced the activation of its online registration portal for both old and new members.

The party’s chairman in the state, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, made the announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abakaliki, noting that the initiative was driven by the need to strengthen the party’s base ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the registration link would be distributed to ward chairmen across the state for immediate rollout.

“The registration portal has opened, allowing people to register from the comfort of their homes. The link will be shared with all ward chairmen, who will commence registration immediately,” Okoro-Emegha said.

He added that the APC stakeholders’ meeting demonstrated the party’s renewed commitment to unity and strategic planning in Ebonyi.

“The meeting and the new registration drive are seen as significant steps towards promoting the party’s agenda and consolidating its position in the state,” he said.

15 million Tinubu votes pledged across 11 states

No fewer than 11 state chapters of the All Progressives Congress have pledged a combined 15.2 million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, Sunday PUNCH can confirm.

Leading the charge is the North Central zone, where the APC Forum has vowed to deliver six million votes in appreciation of Tinubu’s decision to return the party’s national chairmanship to the region.

The six North Central states—Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau (Yilwatda’s home state)—made the pledge following Thursday’s appointment of Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda as the new APC National Chairman.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the forum’s chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said the zone was now fully behind Tinubu’s second term bid.

“President Bola Tinubu and the APC should have no concerns about North Central votes in 2027. The region is already in the bag. Our promise to deliver six million votes for the President is guaranteed,” he said.

Akwa Ibom, Edo, Benue, Oyo, Ekiti back Tinubu

In Akwa Ibom, the APC said it was targeting 3.5 million votes, tripling what the President secured in the 2023 election.

“At the end of the registration process, we expect no less than 3.5 million votes for President Tinubu’s re-election,” the party’s spokesperson said, expressing confidence that Tinubu would win the state overwhelmingly.

In Edo, the APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, said Governor Monday Okpebholo had promised 2.5 million votes for the President.

“A strong membership base will make this target realisable. With mass defection from other parties, our membership is expected to quadruple. The other parties in the state are no longer in existence,” he said.

Benue APC, which is targeting five million members, also pledged two million votes for Tinubu in 2027.

“We will surpass our 2023 margin, which was narrowed by the Muslim-Muslim ticket controversy. The President’s support to our people has changed the narrative. He’ll win with a wide margin,” said James Orngunga, the state publicity secretary.

In the South-West, Oyo and Ekiti chapters pledged a combined 1.2 million votes.

Oyo APC spokesperson, Olawale Sadare, said they were targeting over 800,000 votes for Tinubu in 2027, double the number recorded in the last election.

“We are aggressively mobilising through door-to-door, media, and social platforms. Our membership target in Oyo is between 220,000 and 250,000,” he said.

In Ekiti, where Tinubu polled 201,494 votes in 2023, APC spokesperson Segun Dipe said the party aimed to double or even triple that number.

“We’re confident of at least 400,000 votes for the President in 2027. His performance and Governor Oyebanji’s delivery are already speaking for us,” he said.

Registration progresses in Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom

The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has commenced registration for thousands of new members who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the APC State Chairman, Omeni Sobotie, said all Local Government and Ward Chairmen across the state had been directed to register the new members “without any preconditions or demands, including letters of resignation from the PDP.”

In an earlier statement issued by the state Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo, Sobotie had explained that the directive followed the mass defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the entire PDP executive structure to the APC on April 28, 2025.

Addressing journalists in Warri on Thursday, Sobotie described the development as the beginning of a new era for the party, one that must be managed with unity, inclusiveness, and openness.

“Accordingly, all party functionaries at the grassroots—local government and ward chairmen—are hereby instructed to eliminate any bureaucratic hurdles, red tape or procedural bottlenecks that may hinder the seamless registration and integration of these new members,” he said.

“Any act capable of alienating or discouraging our new entrants from participating fully in party activities shall not be tolerated.”

Corroborating this, Onojeghuo said the APC’s online registration portal was approved by the party’s National Executive Committee at its April 27 meeting, with the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The portal is not only designed for PDP members moving to the APC, but for members of other political parties who are desirous of joining the APC.

“The online registration drive is of utmost importance to us, and so far we are very satisfied with the numbers, which are already exceeding expectations,” he added.

In Edo State, the APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, confirmed that some party members had begun registering through the national portal.

However, full mobilisation efforts would commence after the August 16 bye-election in the state.

In Ekiti, the party said online registration was also ongoing, but mobilisation would kick off on Monday during a scheduled mega adoption event for President Tinubu and Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

“The registration process is national. The code is already active for people to start populating the portal. It’s available in Ekiti, and others will follow,” the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, told our correspondent on Thursday.

In Akwa Ibom, the APC said it had launched its online registration with a target of over three million members ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking with our correspondent in Uyo, the Director-General of the APC Media Network in the state, Iniobong John, said the party’s membership base had expanded significantly with the collapse of major opposition structures into the APC.

“APC in Akwa Ibom is expanding. If you consider the total number of votes polled by the APC in the last election and add that to the PDP and YPP figures—both of which have now collapsed into our party—you’ll realise APC is now a dominant force in the state.

YPP, led by its governorship candidate, Senator Bassey Albert, has joined us. Now, the entire PDP structure in the stat’ has also emptied into the APC. Combine those strengths, and that’s what APC in Akwa Ibom now stands on,” he said.

Bayelsa, Enugu waiting in the wings

The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress says it is awaiting the directive of the party’s National Working Committee to commence its mass membership registration.

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, said the registration was initially scheduled to begin in June, but the NWC opted for electronic registration, which delayed the process.

“The registration should have started in June, but the National Working Committee opted for electronic registration. You know we used to do manual registration, but as the NWC decided to go digital, we’re awaiting their directive,” Buokoribo said.

“However, anyone who wishes to join the party is free to do so pending the official launch of the electronic registration in the state.”

In Enugu State, the APC also said it was awaiting a final template from the national leadership before launching the registration exercise.

The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Titus Ezeagu, told our correspondent on Thursday that with the emergence of a new national chairman, a clear directive was expected soon.

“APC is targeting the majority of votes in Enugu State for the presidential election and aims to win the governorship, Senate, House of Reps, and State Assembly seats,” Ezeagu said.

“The strategy is to increase mobilisation beyond party members and to showcase the achievements of the Tinubu administration, including federal appointments to the state.”

Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Oyo State, Olawale Sadare, said he was aware of the proposed membership drive but lacked specific details on the timing of the rollout in the state.

“I am aware that the National Secretariat is test-running its planned nationwide membership registration exercise, but I don’t have the details at the moment,” Sadare said. (Sunday PUNCH, excluding headline)