Mobilise for APC or Quit, Yilwatda Tells Tinubu’s Political Appointees

By Opeyemi Adelakun

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has directed political appointees serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration to actively mobilise support for the ruling party or resign from their positions.

Yilwatda said political appointments come with political responsibilities, insisting that appointees cannot distance themselves from grassroots party activities under the guise of being technocrats.

The APC chairman gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving members of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen’s Forum, led by the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, Dr. Mustafa Jibrin, who briefed him on the forum’s mobilisation plans ahead of the 2027 general election.

“You cannot hide behind the claim of being a technocrat to avoid your political responsibilities. If you accept a political appointment, you must also play your role as a politician,” Yilwatda said.

He added that anyone unwilling to engage in partisan politics should not have accepted a political appointment in the first place.

Yilwatda tasked local government chairmen with monitoring the political activities of government appointees in their respective wards and reporting those who fail to contribute to the party’s grassroots mobilisation.

According to him, an appointee’s effectiveness should not be measured only by performance in office but also by their political relevance within their communities.

“An appointee may be performing well in the office, but if they have no political presence in their ward, that is a problem. Anyone who accepts a political appointment must also accept the responsibilities that come with politics,” he stated.

The APC chairman stressed that the party’s success in the 2027 elections would depend largely on effective grassroots mobilisation, urging local government leaders to identify weak areas, assess the performance of appointees and recommend strategies to strengthen the party’s electoral chances.

He also assured the forum of the party’s support for its mobilisation activities, including the inauguration of state coordinators and the organisation of a mass endorsement rally for President Tinubu’s re-election in Abuja.