Why we don’t have a BoT – APC Chair

2026-03-02 - 15:36

...Says, ruling party open to any mode of primaries ....Explains why membership register is linked to NIN By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA: National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has explained that the party’s decision to operate without a Board of Trustees BoT is rooted in its commitment to grassroots ownership and membership-driven funding. Speaking during a public presentation in Abuja, the Chairman emphasized that the party is sustained by the financial contributions of its rank and file, rather than a select group of elders. In a statement issued Monday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the party leader attributed APC’s expanding membership to its robust internal structures. The statement noted that APC’s digital push and transparent approach to party administration have been the primary drivers of its current electoral competitiveness. “APC belongs to its members. That is why we do not have a Board of Trustees BoT. Our members fund the party through dues and other legitimate contributions, and that gives them true ownership,” Yilwatda stated. He also explained the rationale behind linking the APC membership register to the National Identity Management Commission NIMC, explaining that the integration with the National Identity Number NIN has helped to clean and validate the party’s database while improving internal accountability. “Our electronic registration gives us real-time access to our members. We know who they are, where they live and how to reach them. This allows us to mobilize efficiently and conduct better, more credible primaries,” the Chairman remarked. He noted that the digital register provides the party with verifiable data, ensuring that only duly registered members participate in internal contests. On the recurring debate regarding the selection of candidates, the APC Chairman clarified that the party remains open to any mode of primaries. The National Assembly had in the 2026 amended Electoral Act made provision for only direct and consensus mode of primaries, expanding the indirect method. Yilwatda stressed that the APC has demonstrated unique flexibility by successfully utilizing consensus, direct and indirect methods. “The key issue is not the method alone, but the integrity of the process,” he said, while however cautioning that direct primaries, if poorly managed, can lead to the manipulation and “colonisation” of delegates. Yilwatda took pride in the party’s ability to reach internal agreements without the fallout of legal battles, noting that the APC has achieved rare consensus outcomes in multiple states. “We have had situations where all aspirants agreed on a single candidate through consensus. No other party in Nigeria has managed that without ending up in court. Even our presidential primaries were conducted using direct primaries,” he added. Responding to concerns about the influx of defectors from opposition parties, the national chairman dismissed the notion that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state. He described the movement of politicians into the APC as a natural consequence of the party’s organizational strength compared to rival platforms. “It is fair because many of those parties are already dying. Their members want to survive politically, and they see the APC as the most organized platform,” Yilwatda stated.