Defections won’t break APC — Yilwatda

By Lawrence Agbo

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda has dismissed fears that recent defections into the ruling party could trigger internal crises, insisting the party’s structures are strong enough to absorb new members without destabilising its balance.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja, Yilwatda said the APC has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to manage competing interests, pointing to the party’s congresses as proof of its resilience despite predictions of internal collapse.

He noted that the party successfully handled the interests of governors, National Assembly members, and other stakeholders through what he described as a fair and effective internal process.

If you watch our congresses, the opposition said that after our congresses, our party will collapse because of self-implosion,” he said.

“We were able to manage the interest of everybody — the governors, the National Assembly, and other members of the party — and we did that equitably.”

According to him, the APC’s stability is rooted in a unique conflict-resolution mechanism that distinguishes it from other political parties in Nigeria.

“I think no political party in Nigeria has our own internal conflict resolution mechanism,” he added.

Yilwatda also expressed confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the party remains dominant in major voting blocs, particularly in Kano and Katsina, which he described as key APC strongholds.

“I can assure you that Kano is a given to us as APC, and it is a swing state in the North-West,” Yilwatda said, adding that major voting blocs, including Katsina, are firmly aligned with the party.

Responding to criticism that the ruling party is more focused on political expansion than governance, he rejected the claim and insisted that governance remains central to the APC agenda.

“We are not just playing politics alone; we are also ensuring that governance will count in our elections,” he said.

The APC has recently attracted a wave of defections from opposition parties, further expanding its influence nationwide, but Yilwatda maintained that such growth will not weaken the party’s cohesion.