ADC inaugurates membership mobilisation committee, names Kashim Imam chairman

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday began the mobilisation of members with the appointment of Kashim Imam to drive the process.

The committee, tagged the Membership Revalidation, Mobilisation and Registration (MRMR) Committee, has Kashim Imam as chairman and Aisha Yesufu as deputy chairman, while Sekonte Davis will serve as secretary.

The team, which also includes members of the Obidient Movement, was given 30 days to submit an interim report.

David Mark, National Chairman of the ADC, while inaugurating the committee, described the event as “marking a significant milestone” in the ongoing effort to reposition the party for growth, strength and internal cohesion.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) was founded as a coalition party with principles of justice, equity, accountability and people-centred governance.

The party was granted recognition late last year after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued it a certificate of recognition to operate as a political party.

The ADC has posed strong challenges to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), especially with the recent defection of Peter Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election while flying the flag of the Labour Party (LP).

Mark said for the party’s 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.

“It is in recognition of this urgent necessity that, following the resolution of our National Working Committee (NWC), I approved the constitution of this committee.”

He noted that no political party can aspire to national relevance without a strong, active and properly documented membership.

“Membership is the lifeblood of any democratic organisation. It determines legitimacy, strength, reach and, ultimately, electoral victory.

“As we look ahead to future political engagements, it has become imperative to revalidate our existing members, register new ones, strengthen our grassroots presence and harmonise our membership records nationwide. This committee has therefore been entrusted with a critical national assignment.”

The committee is expected to oversee the registration of new members nationwide to ensure inclusiveness, transparency and adherence to party guidelines and democratic principles.

It was also mandated to develop and implement a nationwide membership mobilisation strategy, with particular emphasis on the grassroots at polling unit, ward, local government and state levels.

Other responsibilities include the development of an e-registration platform alongside a manual register in a transparent and seamless manner, as well as recommending standardised procedures and systems for continuous membership registration, revalidation and data management.

The team is also expected to strengthen party structures through membership expansion by ensuring that new members are properly integrated into party organs and activities, liaising with state and local party leadership to ensure smooth implementation of the exercise, and promoting unity, discipline and internal democracy.

The comprehensive membership revalidation exercise across all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is expected to establish an accurate, credible and up-to-date membership register of the ADC, thereby strengthening the party’s chances in the 2027 elections.

The committee will also harmonise existing membership data and records, working closely with state chapters to eliminate duplication, inconsistencies and irregularities.

Mark mandated the committee to submit an interim report to the National Working Committee within 30 days.

Members of the committee were also given the mandate to co-opt any ADC member considered capable of making valuable contributions to the assignment.

Imam, a renowned politician, promised to return the African Democratic Congress to the average Nigerian, saying: “Our party, the ADC, is a grassroots movement. For too long, the average Nigerian has been cheated and marginalised. Taxation has become the new burden. We will endeavour to invite the peasants, the ordinary Nigerians—the masses, the poor and the downtrodden—to take charge, take responsibility and assume ownership of the ADC.

“This is what will make the ADC different: it will belong to the average Nigerian. Our party will strive to ensure that the average Nigerian gets a fair share. This country is blessed. Our country is endowed with both human and natural resources. We have no business being poor, and when the ADC comes to power, no Nigerian will be poor.

“Mr Chairman, this is the first of the committees you are inaugurating, which shows how serious this assignment is. I want to assure you, on behalf of all committee members, that we will not sleep, we will not rest, and we will work round the clock. You will see us mobilising and registering members in the creeks, in the deserts, and across the length and breadth of this country. This is a mass movement.”