…Says Defectors Won’t Hijack Leadership
Prof. Nentewe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has reassured the party’s legacy members that political defectors will not be allowed to seize control of its leadership structures.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with the party’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stakeholders on Tuesday in Abuja,
Yilwatda emphasized the importance of protecting the interests of both long-standing and new members.
“It is a home that we built. If the house was not built, nobody will come, so nobody should come as a warrior and take over,” he said, making a clear distinction between those who have been with the party from the outset and those who have recently joined.
He stressed that both groups’ interests would be safeguarded, without one overpowering the other.
Yilwatda proposed a deliberate power-sharing formula that ensures both legacy members and defectors are equally included. “We must have everybody included; there will be a sharing formula that will ensure that all members of the legacy group and defectors are properly carried along,” he stated.
The APC chair also unveiled a five-dimensional sharing formula for the FCT APC structure, which prioritizes gender inclusion, geopolitical representation, and youth engagement. “Women should not merely be relegated to women leader positions; they deserve substantive executive roles,” he added. Additionally, he outlined that representation would span all six geopolitical zones, and indigenous tribes in the FCT would also be considered.
Yilwatda confirmed that a committee, chaired by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo, had already conducted zoning for the FCT APC, adhering strictly to party guidelines. So far, he said, no APC member had raised concerns about being shortchanged.
The chairman also made it clear that defectors seeking executive positions must produce resignation letters from their previous parties, with proof of acceptance from their former party chairs. “If you are in opposition, you must give a resignation letter and show evidence of resignation and acceptance of your resignation by your former party chairman,” he said.
Reiterating the party’s constitutional stance on tenure, Yilwatda explained that any member who had spent eight consecutive years in an office must step down or transition to another role. “If there is no inclusion, I can’t be here because my tribe is only found in two local governments of this country.
I am a minority,” he added, underscoring the importance of inclusive leadership.
In his closing remarks, Yilwatda highlighted his core political philosophy of inclusion, stating that women, often the backbone of electoral campaigns, should be recognized as political experts and not just mobilizers during election seasons. “Women were great mobilizers that should not be used only at election periods to win elections,” he said.
