APC denies alleged coercion of government workers to register as members in Enugu

Thursday, January 22, 2026 - The All Progressives Congress in Enugu State has denied allegations that local government chairmen are coercing government workers to register or revalidate their membership with the party as a condition for receiving their salaries, describing the claims as false and politically motivated.

The Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in Enugu State, Dr Ben Nwoye, dismissed the reports on Tuesday while speaking to journalists during the revalidation of membership of the party’s immediate past state chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, at Udi/Agbudu Ward in Udi Local Government Area.

According to Nwoye, the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise across the state is voluntary and has recorded massive participation without any form of compulsion.

“Look at what is happening here today. Do you see anyone being forced? Nobody here is under pressure. People are participating freely,” he said.

He accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation to undermine the exercise.

“When you don’t have progressive ideas, the easiest thing is to resort to propaganda. No government worker in Enugu State is being forced to register with the APC,” Nwoye added.

The APC chairman said data from the party’s registration dashboard showed that Enugu State was currently leading the South-East zone in the ongoing exercise, with Udi Local Government Area ranking first among the state’s 17 local government areas.

He attributed the turnout to internal unity within the party and growing public support for the administration of Governor Peter Mbah.

Nwoye acknowledged that some registration figures were still being uploaded due to network challenges in rural areas but insisted that available records already placed Enugu at the top in the region.

Earlier, while revalidating his membership, Agballah urged party members to remain loyal to the APC and its leadership, stressing that discipline and inclusiveness were critical to electoral success.

He described mass registration as central to the party’s electoral strategy.

“The registration is critical to our victory. If we have two million registered members, that means two million votes,” Agballah said, calling on party supporters and sympathisers to intensify mobilisation at the ward level

Agballah also reaffirmed his support for the current APC leadership structure in the state and commended Governor Mbah for what he described as inclusive leadership and effective conflict resolution within the party.

The revalidation exercise was attended by several party stakeholders, including state lawmakers, local government officials and party leaders, underscoring what APC officials described as renewed unity and momentum ahead of future elections.