Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has dispelled rumours that some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are opposed to the ongoing nationwide membership registration and revalidation.

He dismissed insinuations making round that comments by the party interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande while revalidating his membership on Thursday at Ila Orangun and the Saturday endorsement of same by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu were indicative of opposing the exercise.

The two leaders had expressed reservations over the exercise which they described as an ‘indefensible aberration’.

But in a statement titled: “Significance of leadership disagreements to political contests” on Sunday in Abuja, Lukman who is a chieftain of the APC, said despite the strongly worded remarks, Akande and Tinubu had their membership revalidated.

According to Lukman: “With all leaders of the party, including Chief Akande and Asiwaju Tinubu accepting to revalidate their membership, the message is that every party member should revalidate his/her membership.

“There is no better evidence today that all APC leaders are united other than the ongoing membership registration/revalidation exercise.

“Our APC leaders may have all their different political permutations. But they are united in the fact that for their permutation to come with strong electoral prospects, the development of the party, APC, especially in terms of its membership is an important precondition.

“Above all, the freedom of members to aspire for leadership positions must not be constrained by the undemocratic factors of imposition familiar to our politics in Nigeria.

“What is very clear is that all leaders of the APC are interested in the success of the membership registration/revalidation exercise.

“The expectation is that it will produce more members and whatever is the problem associated with the old membership register will be resolved.

“Part of what every progressive democrat in APC will have to address is to ensure democratic control of the APC membership register.”

By Jide Orintunsin