Eshioromeh Sebastian and Nathaniel Irobi
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has declared that the party cannot guarantee automatic tickets to any member, regardless of their performance in office or status as defectors.
Yilwatda made this clarification during an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Newspaper, where he addressed speculations that the APC might handpicked candidates for certain positions in the upcoming primaries.
According to the chairman, neither the APC Constitution nor the Electoral Act makes provisions for automatic tickets.
“There is no automatic ticket in our Constitution. The party constitution does not provide for automatic tickets. The Electoral Act also does not provide for automatic tickets,” Yilwatda stated.
He explained that all primaries must be conducted either by consensus or direct primaries, and every party member must follow the same process.
“We don’t have to change the mode of our election. We have two methods, and we cannot impose a method on anybody. States will choose the method they want to adopt. If they don’t agree, they go for direct primaries,” he said.
The APC chairman emphasized that the Constitution and the Electoral Act remain sacrosanct, dismissing suggestions that the party might impose candidates or grant special waivers.
“The issue of imposing candidates is wishful thinking. There is no provision for automatic tickets in the Constitution or Electoral Act, so I cannot guarantee automatic tickets for anyone,” Yilwatda added.
His comments come amid growing concerns from some party members, including defectors from opposition parties, who have reportedly been seeking assurances of automatic tickets in exchange for their loyalty and performance.
However, Yilwatda maintained that all aspirants would be subjected to the same transparent primary process, adding that the party has deepened internal democracy through verified digital membership and conflict resolution mechanisms.
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