ABEOKUTA – Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, representing Ogun Central, has robustly defended the All Progressives Congress (APC) statewide e-registration exercise while using the occasion to catalogue a sweeping array of projects executed across his senatorial district.

The senator’s defence came as a direct rebuttal to allegations of "digital fraud" levelled against the registration drive by Chief Oluwabukola Soyoye Abayomi, a chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking on Thursday during the renewal of his party membership at Opeji ward 10, Odeda local government area, Senator Salisu dismissed the LP’s claims, suggesting the opposition should focus on its internal cohesion.

“You can only tag something a digital fraud if you are required to participate in it. I think they should spend more effort to go and determine whether they still have a party and to also reconcile among themselves,” Salisu stated.

Employing a pointed analogy, he added, “If Nigerians are doing a national population census, what concerns a Ghanaian with whether the exercise is a fraud? APC exercise is a fraud? Go and attempt to do your own.”

The senator framed the APC’s digital registration as a critical tool for strengthening democracy and national security. He outlined its three-fold purpose: verifying the identity of Nigerians, highlighting the importance of digital infrastructure, and serving as a strategic move for the party.

He commended the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dapo Abiodun, asserting that the exercise is “transforming the political process and deepening democracy and tech.”

Showcasing Constituency Projects

Simultaneously, Senator Salisu presented an extensive list of projects recently delivered across the Ogun Central Senatorial District, positioning them as tangible dividends of governance. These include:

 Rehabilitation of the 7.5km abandoned Camp-FUNAAB road, with completion promised within one month, and ongoing construction of the Arakanga-Mawuko-Opeji road.

· Energy & Utilities: Installation of solar-powered street lights in over 15 communities, including Odeda township, Itori, and Ibafo; provision of transformers for Isabo and Fajabi communities; and motorised solar-powered boreholes in five locations, including Olomore and Onikolobo.

· Education & Digital Empowerment:

 Establishment of ICT centres at Government Science and Technical College, Olobe, and Community High School, Oluke; provision of ICT equipment to four secondary schools; distribution of educational materials across the district; and digital training programmes for artisans, teachers, undergraduates, and graduates.

Other Interventions: A 24-hour power supply installation and distribution of laptops at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat; aquaculture training for fish farmers; and solar lights at the Ogun State NLC Secretariat.

“It’s not just about fixing a road; it’s about boosting the local economy, supporting farmers, and improving learning outcomes for students,” Senator Salisu remarked, connecting the projects to broader socio-economic development.

The senator’s combination of a forceful political defence and a detailed project showcase appears designed to reinforce his administrative record while deflecting criticism from political opponents.