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By Oluseye Ojo
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has apologised to aggrieved members of the party over perceived wrongs committed during its congresses, primaries and other internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda, who took responsibility for mistakes allegedly committed by committees constituted by the party’s national leadership, appealed to members who felt excluded or disadvantaged to forgive the party and remain united.
He made the appeal yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State, during the inauguration of the APC Campaign Office at Dandaru, Mokola, as the ruling party intensified efforts to reconcile members ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC chairman specifically appealed to members who felt “hurt”, “injured”, “prevented” or “excluded” during the party’s internal processes to forgive the party.
He said the national leadership could not distance itself from the actions of committees it constituted to conduct congresses and primaries across the country.
“This is not for Oyo State alone. Anywhere anybody made a mistake in a state, it is our mistake because the committee was set up by us and they are representing us,” Yilwatda said.
“If anybody is hurt, if anybody is injured, if anybody is prevented or excluded in any form or the other, we take responsibility.
“On TV, before Nigerians, we take responsibility of all that had happened. I appeal to everybody that we are sorry.”
The APC chairman urged members at the polling-unit, ward and local government levels to treat disagreements within the party as an internal family matter and work towards reconciliation.
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He said the party needed unity at the grassroots to strengthen its chances in the 2027 elections.
Yilwatda said the party was paying particular attention to Oyo State because of its strategic political importance and large voting population, which he described as second only to Lagos.
The chairman’s apology comes as the APC intensifies its preparations for the 2027 elections and seeks to resolve grievances arising from its internal processes.
At the event, the APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, commended Yilwatda for intervening in the disputes among governorship aspirants and other party stakeholders in the state.
Alli said the national chairman had achieved within two days what party stakeholders in the state had been unable to accomplish over a longer period.
“We cannot thank you enough for what you have come to do. What you have achieved successfully in two days, we have not been able to accomplish,” Alli said.
He expressed appreciation to Yilwatda for honouring the invitation to meet with governorship aspirants and other stakeholders.
Alli said commitments made by the national chairman during his earlier engagement with the stakeholders had now been fulfilled.
He assured Yilwatda that the Oyo State chapter would continue to work towards strengthening the APC and advancing its interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda’s intervention is expected to form part of the party’s wider reconciliation efforts as the APC seeks to prevent unresolved grievances from weakening its structures and electoral mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls.
