The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed claims that governors wield overwhelming influence over the ruling party, insisting that no single individual or group controls the APC.
Yilwatda made the clarification while featuring on Sunset, a political programme aired on Jay FM in Jos, Plateau State.
According to the APC chairman, the party operates a clearly defined structure in which major decisions are taken at the national level rather than by state chapters or governors.
“Across the country, nobody can take any section of the party,” Yilwatda said.
“For anything you are going to do at the state level, it is planned at the national level. It is not planned at the state level. This is the APC structure and that is how we work.”
Yilwatda stressed that the ruling party functions based on laid-down structures and processes, not personal interests or emotions.
“We work with structure. We don’t work with sentiments and emotions,” he said.
“Nobody has control over the party, even myself. No local government chairman has control over APC. No governor has control over APC. No senator or individual has control over APC.”
Why APC Has No BoT
Naija News reports that the APC chairman further explained that the party deliberately avoided establishing a Board of Trustees to prevent internal crises and power struggles.
According to him, the APC belongs to the people, who serve as its true trustees.
“That was why APC doesn’t have a board of trustees,” he said.
“APC is owned by the people. People are the trustees of APC, unlike other political parties where you have some people controlling and having structures of the party in their hands.”
Yilwatda added that the absence of a Board of Trustees means party leaders are guided strictly by the party’s constitution and internal mechanisms rather than external supervision.
“As a party chairman, there is no board of trustees supervising me. I supervise myself,” he stated.
