The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that those dumping their political platforms would not be allowed to hijack the party structures, thereby leaving old members stranded.
Professor Yilwatda made the declaration on Tuesday at a stakeholders meeting with members of the party in the Federal Capital Territory.
It can be recalled that the just concluded ward, local and state Congresses revealed that there is growing dissatisfaction within the party; the erstwhile chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party who defected to the APC are smarting to take over the party structures to secure tickets ahead of next general elections.
Addressing the party faithful, the APC National Chairman vowed that new entrants into the APC would not be allowed under any guise to displace those he described as members of the legacy groups.
He maintained that under his watch, both defectors and old members would be allowed to cohabit.
He said, “The people who decamped should not come and take over the party. They should come knowing that there are people who are already living in their party. 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 existing party members and take them away.”
He further revealed that he would fashion out a power sharing arrangement that would integrate contending power blocs in the FCT chapter of the APC.
“We must have everybody included. There will be a sharing formula that will ensure that all the members of the legacy group and defectors are properly carried along.”
The APC national recalled that a committee chaired by the Minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs, Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo had conducted zoning for the FCT and that its work had been followed to the letter.
“No single APC member has complained that he has been cheated or he has been deprived in any way.”
Ahead of the forthcoming congresses, he assured tendencies within the FCT chapter that the APC Constitution would be applied to the letter, declaring that new members seeking executive positions must produce resignation letters accepted by their former party chairmen.
He said, “If you are in opposition, you must give a resignation letter and show evidence of resignation. You must show evidence of defection, of your resignation and acceptance of your resignation by your own chairman. It is very important.”
He equally restated provisions of the Nigerian Constitution which precluded fresh tenure after 8 years in office.
“If you have spent consecutive eight years in one office, you must step down or at best, change office,” he added.
The APC national chairman restated his stance of inclusion of tribe and zone in power sharing.
“We must accommodate all tribes, including the geopolitical resource.
“If I’m a Yoruba, I should see somebody from Yoruba as part of it. If I’m Igbo, I should see an Igbo as part of it… It gives me a sense of belonging.
“I am chairing this party because of inclusion. 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.”
Giving clarification on the relationship between the APC and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike whose loyalists are flooding the FCT chapter of the APC, Professor Yilwatda declared that the ruling party has a working partnership with the PDP, not Wike as an individual.
He noted that “the FCT minister is not a member of APC. We have never conferred with him for anything that has to do with APC. He only wrote to the PDP at the inception of this government and the PDP gave him approval to serve in our party.”
