‘Other Parties Are Dying,’ Yilwatda Defends Mass Defections Into APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the mass defections into the ruling party, citing better management. 

APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, said this on Sunday at the Citizens’ Townhall on the 2026 Electoral Act.

“It is very fair. It is very fair because they discovered that those political parties are already dying. They saw a reason to join us because of how we operate as a party—from party management to organization and mobilization,” Yilwatda said at the event.

“APC seems to be the best party in terms of mobilization, organization, and governance. That provides a leeway for competition. When I go to the market, I have a choice to make: a choice between good governance, good party management, and a transparent system.

“I will give you an example. We have a primary solution where, through consensus, all nine candidates in Osun agreed on a single candidate. No other political party in Nigeria has achieved a consensus like that without ending up in court. Only APC has successfully done that in two states.”

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In recent months, the APC ranks have swelled, leaving opposition parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and others depleted.

The APC has about 31 governors and an overwhelming majority of the National Assembly members on its register, a move critics claim is turning Nigeria into a one-party state.

But Yilwatda said the APC is attracting defectors due to its solid organizational structures.