Prior to the general elections in 2027, Yekini Nabena, a former deputy national publicity secretary for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has cautioned the National Working Committee (NWC), which is chaired by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, against letting incumbent governors take complete control of the party’s organizational structures.
Nabena issued a warning in a statement on Wednesday that handing over the party’s apparatus to the current governors would lead to internal strife and jeopardize the ruling party’s continued existence. According to him, such measures would erode the APC’s already brittle internal unity even more.
Governors are allegedly receiving nomination forms for the upcoming party congresses directly, according to Nabena, which gives them the authority to choose party positions through a selection process rather than a democratic and open one.
He claimed that this strategy might signal the start of significant internal party discontent.
We’re hearing that as the party gets ready for congresses, all of the nomination papers are being sent to the governors, who will ultimately choose who gets what. It won’t work out here. It will actually be the start of an internal crisis that could end in implosion,” he stated.
He cautioned that if the party leadership does not move quickly, the issue may get worse. He encouraged them to immediately reverse the trend.
Additionally, Nabena urged party leaders and elders to step in and warn the NWC against acting in a way that would hurt the APC.
“It is also crucial that our party’s leaders and elders speak up now by calling the NWC members to order so that they won’t proceed in error,” he said.
Nabena voiced alarm over the party’s dwindling membership and cautioned that if corrective action is not done, the APC runs the risk of alienating its surviving followers. “The party, which once boasted about 40 million registered members, is now struggling to reach 10 million in its ongoing electronic registration exercise,” he said.
In addition, he urged President Bola Tinubu to step in before the congresses begin countrywide, emphasizing that prompt action could assist avert a party internal collapse.
