By Chesa Chesa
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has expressed satisfaction with the level of participation by aspirants in the ongoing sale and submission of the party’s nomination forms at Treasury Suites & Conference Centre m, Abuja, venue of the exercise.
Speaking after assessing the exercise, Yilwatda described the venue as a “beehive of activities,” noting that the large turnout reflects the widespread acceptance of the party across the country.
“As you can see, this place is a beehive of activities, and it shows the acceptance of our party across the country. All the political zones are busy. People are here in their numbers, trying to submit their forms, and we are happy that we are piloting a party that is accepted from the grassroots”, he said.
He added that the steady influx of aspirants and supporters underscores Nigerians’ confidence in the APC, insisting that the party’s appeal cuts across all geopolitical zones.
Yilwatda also praised the level of organisation at the venue, saying the logistics and coordination on display distinguish the APC from other political parties in the country.
“The party is too organised for what we are seeing. You can’t see this level of organisation, logistics, and preparation in any party in Nigeria—this can only be APC,” he said.
Despite the high turnout, the APC chairman ruled out any extension of the deadline for the sale of nomination forms, stressing that the party must adhere to the timeline stipulated by the Electoral Act.
“We are not extending the sales. We are time-bound. We would have loved to extend it, but the Electoral Act limits the timeline for primaries and submissions,” he explained.
Addressing concerns over overcrowding and possible bottlenecks during the screening process, Yilwatda assured that measures had been put in place to ensure a smooth and orderly exercise.
“While it is good to have a crowd to show mobilisation, we are also putting structures in place to reduce congestion and ensure seamless screening,” he said.
On internal party democracy, Yilwatda maintained that the APC remains open and competitive, noting that even top office holders are being challenged.
“We opened our party for competition. Sitting governors, senators, even principal officers are being challenged. The level of democracy in APC is second to none,” he stated.
Reacting to concerns about tensions over consensus arrangements in some states and recent defections among opposition parties, the APC chairman dismissed any threat to his party.
He downplayed reports of political realignments, arguing that the defections were insignificant in the broader context of Nigeria’s political landscape.
“Seventeen lawmakers out of over 400 is less than five per cent. That is not something to worry about. None of those defecting is from our party. They are moving within themselves. APC is solid, united, and moving forward with strong numbers”, he stated.
