One day after it began its membership registration, the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been hit by scarcity of membership cards across the 33 local government areas in the state.
It was gathered that a total of 148, 500 cards distributed across the councils were exhausted on the first day of the registration exercise, in some wards within hours after registration opened.
Nigerian Tribune reported that each of the 33 councils was given 4, 500 cards which were distributed onwards to each of the 350 wards in the state at between 400 and 450 cards.
Party leaders, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune about the development, said between 600, 000 to one million members were being targeted at the end of the exercise.
Apart from the councils in Ibadan metropolis which were the worst hit by the scarcity, other areas where the acute shortage is being felt included Oyo, Ogbomosho and Oke Ogun areas.
Some of them are: Oyo East Ward 5 Apinin, Ward 10 Araromi, Ward 7 Jabata, Atiba, Oke Afin units and others, Ogo Oluwa, Surulere,
The leader of the PDP coalition and former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja told Nigerian Tribune that the scarcity of cards only after a day of registration was an indication that the party was back to wining ways.
He assured the people of the state that PDP would end their pain and anguish, asking them “to ensure their Egyptian experience a little while more before the a new dawn in the state.”
“Now, names of members are being written in ledgers pending when more cards will be send from Abuja. In some units in Oluyole Local Government Area, cards were exhausted within three hours. We have sent for more cards.
“This is an indication that the PDP is the preferred choice ahead of the 2019 elections. This coalition is a solid one that will sweep the pain and anguish of the people of the state away,” he said.
