All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Nantewe Yilwatda, has dismissed concerns over the defection of Peter Obi from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, insisting the development poses no threat to the ruling party.
Yilwatda made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja during the ongoing sale and submission of APC nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to developments within opposition parties, the APC chairman said internal crises among opposition groups were their responsibility and had no impact on the APC.
He also downplayed the resignation of about 18 National Assembly members from the ADC to the NDC, describing the movement as politically insignificant.
“If someone defects from ADC to NDC or another opposition party, that does not affect APC,” he said.
“Let them sort out their problems. APC remains solid and we are moving forward with strong numbers.”
Yilwatda further argued that opposition figures were merely moving within the same political space, noting that none of the defectors belonged to the APC.
“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 stated.
Speaking on the ongoing purchase of nomination forms, the APC chairman said the turnout reflected growing public support for the ruling party across the country.
“Nigerians are happy with what APC is doing. They love and accept the party across all geopolitical zones,” he said.
“We are encouraged by the large number of people coming out to purchase our forms.”
According to him, the APC remains well-positioned and organised ahead of the 2027 elections.
“This can only happen in APC, and we are pleased to witness it under our administration,” he added.
Yilwatda also ruled out the possibility of extending the deadline for the purchase and submission of nomination forms, citing timelines provided in the Electoral Act.
“We would have loved to extend the time, but we are time bound,” he said.
“The Electoral Act limits the timeframe for conducting primaries and submitting results. We also want to avoid unnecessary complications.”
He added that the party would introduce measures during the screening exercise to prevent overcrowding and ensure a seamless process for aspirants.
While acknowledging the large turnout of supporters at the venue, Yilwatda said access would still be regulated during screening, even as he described the crowd as evidence of the APC’s growing popularity nationwide.
2027: APC not worried about Peter Obi’s move to NDC – Yilwatda