The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday to finalise preparations for the party’s upcoming national convention and congresses.
Yilwatda disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the closed-door meeting, stating that the discussions centred on aligning the party’s leadership ahead of the crucial exercises.
Harmonising Party Leadership
He explained that the meeting was convened to ensure cohesion among the party’s various blocs. “It was a brief meeting to review the preparation for the convention and the congresses, so that we can be on one page — the sub-national, the national, the National Assembly and the party,” Yilwatda said.
The APC chairman added that the objective was to synchronise the party’s timetable and planning activities for smooth coordination. “We want to ensure inclusivity, both the national and sub-national. I want to carry everybody along in the party,” he noted.
Convention to Reflect Party’s Growth and Diversity
Yilwatda stated that the forthcoming convention, slated for March 2026, would showcase the APC’s expansion and increasing diversity. He attributed this growth to an influx of new members and governors since President Tinubu took office.
“We have new members who have come in, new governors, new members. The party is expanding every day… We want to ensure that in the course of this growth, everybody and nobody is left behind,” the APC national chairman emphasised.
The APC has recorded significant defections from opposition parties following the 2023 general elections, culminating in its control of 29 out of Nigeria’s 36 state governorships.
The national convention is expected to set the stage for the party’s internal realignments ahead of the 2027 election cycle. Key agenda items include zoning arrangements, leadership composition, and the formal integration of new power blocs into the party’s structure.
Tinubu’s Guidance Praised
Yilwatda lauded President Tinubu’s role in the party’s resurgence, describing him as a seasoned politician whose experience has been pivotal.
“Mr President is a short politician, very experienced, and his advice was remarkable. The expansion, the growth, is because of his experience and his depth of knowledge in the political cycle,” he said.
Discussion about this post