May 07, (THEWILL) — The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nantewe Yilwatda, has declared that the ruling party is not disturbed by the defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), insisting that opposition parties must resolve their internal crises without dragging the APC into their affairs.
Yilwatda spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the ongoing purchase and submission of nomination and expression of interest forms by aspirants seeking to contest on the APC platform in the 2027 general elections.
The APC chairman dismissed concerns over the movement of opposition figures across political platforms, arguing that such developments posed no threat to the governing party’s dominance ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“If someone defects from ADC to NDC or another opposition party, that does not affect APC. Let them sort out their problems. APC remains solid, and we are moving forward with strong numbers”, Yilwatda stated.
He also downplayed the resignation of about 18 National Assembly members from the ADC to the NDC, describing the defections as politically insignificant and incapable of weakening the ruling party’s nationwide structure.
According to him, the APC remained focused on strengthening its internal cohesion and expanding its support base across the country rather than monitoring the activities of opposition parties.
“You talked about NDC. When people join APC, they claim we paid them, but when they defect among themselves, nobody says anything. None of those defecting is from our party. They are fishing from the same pond”, he added.
Yilwatda said the massive turnout of aspirants and supporters at the APC national secretariat for the ongoing sale of forms reflected growing public confidence in the administration and the party’s political direction.
“Nigerians are happy with what the APC is doing. They love and accept the party across all geopolitical zones. We are encouraged by the large number of people coming out to purchase our forms”, he said.
Yilwatda further declared that the ruling party was fully organised and strategically positioned for victory in the 2027 general elections, stressing that the level of mobilisation being witnessed at the party headquarters was evidence of the APC’s widening national acceptance.
“This can only happen in APC, and we are pleased to witness it under our administration”, he said further.
Yilwatda, however, ruled out the possibility of extending the deadline for the purchase and submission of nomination forms, explaining that the party was operating within the constitutional timelines provided by the Electoral Act.
“We would have loved to extend the time, but we are time-bound. The Electoral Act limits the timeframe for conducting primaries and submitting results. We also want to avoid unnecessary complications”, he explained.
He disclosed that additional measures would be introduced during the screening of aspirants to reduce overcrowding and ensure a seamless exercise at the party secretariat.
According to him, while the large crowds demonstrated the APC’s mobilisation strength and political dominance, access to screening venues would be properly controlled to maintain order and efficiency.
Yilwatda maintained that the enthusiasm among party supporters and aspirants further reinforced APC’s position as the country’s most formidable political platform ahead of the 2027 polls.
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