No Governor Has Control Over APC — Yilwatda
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
January 7, 2026
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has firmly dismissed claims that governors or any powerful individuals exercise control over the ruling party, insisting that the APC operates strictly through nationally coordinated structures rather than personal influence.
Yilwatda made this clarification while featuring on the Sunset programme aired by Jay FM in Jos, Plateau State, where he spoke extensively on the party’s internal governance, decision-making process and leadership philosophy.
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According to him, the APC’s operational strength lies in its structured, top-down planning system, which ensures that party activities at the state and local government levels align with national objectives.
“Across the country, nobody can take any section of the party. 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 stated.
He stressed that the party deliberately distances itself from politics driven by sentiment, personal loyalty or elite dominance, noting that APC decisions are guided by institutional frameworks rather than individual authority.
“We work with structure. We don’t work with sentiments and emotions. 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,” he said.
Yilwatda’s remarks come amid recurring debates within Nigeria’s political space over the perceived dominance of state governors in party affairs, particularly in the selection of candidates and control of party machinery. In several political parties, governors are often described as “party leaders” in their states, a situation critics argue undermines internal democracy.
However, the APC chairman maintained that such perceptions do not reflect the reality within his party, insisting that governors are stakeholders, not owners.
“Governors are very important stakeholders because they are elected on the platform of the party, but being a stakeholder does not translate to ownership. The APC belongs to Nigerians, not to a few powerful people,” he explained.
Yilwatda also shed light on why the APC operates without a Board of Trustees (BoT), a body common in many political parties and often seen as a stabilising force made up of elder statesmen.
According to him, the absence of a BoT is a deliberate decision aimed at preventing power struggles and parallel authority within the party.
“That was why APC doesn’t have a board of trustees. APC is owned by the people. People are the trustees of APC,” he said.
He contrasted the APC’s model with that of other parties where, he alleged, a few individuals control party structures through boards or informal power blocs.
“Unlike other political parties where you have some people controlling and having structures of the party in their hands, as a party chairman, there is no board of trustees supervising me. I supervise myself,” Yilwatda added.
Political observers say Yilwatda’s comments underscore the APC’s ongoing effort to project internal cohesion and discipline ahead of future electoral cycles. Analysts note that managing relations between national leadership and state actors remains one of the biggest challenges for ruling parties in Nigeria.
By emphasising national coordination and people-driven ownership, the APC chairman appears to be reinforcing the party’s commitment to internal democracy, rule-based governance and collective responsibility.
As preparations gradually begin for future elections, Yilwatda’s stance signals the national leadership’s resolve to assert institutional authority over personal influence, a move party insiders say could help reduce internal conflicts and strengthen the APC’s political machinery nationwide.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JANUARY 7TH 2026)
