The All Progressives Congress (APC) has extended an olive branch to members who have defected to other parties, inviting them to return to the ruling party.
The newly elected APC Chairman,
Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
When asked about rumours surrounding the possible return of former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018 and later joined the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in 2022, Yilwatda said that the party’s doors were open for returnees.
Yilwatda expressed confidence that the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration would attract former members back to the party.
He highlighted the government’s achievements, including a 40 per cent increase in revenue in the last month, which he believed would make it attractive for others to join or rejoin the APC.
“If you are a governor and you discover that, in the last month, the government’s revenue increased by over 40 per cent, and steadily, wouldn’t you want that government to be sustained?” he asked.
Kwankwaso’s defection from the APC to the PDP in 2018 and later to the NNPP in 2022 had been a significant blow to the party in Kano State.
However, with the APC’s open door policy, Yilwatda believed that former members would be drawn back to the party as they witness the government’s progress and performance.
Yilwatda’s emergence as the APC Chairman comes after the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje in June, citing personal reasons.
Meanwhile, Yilwatda, downplayed the relevance and strength of the PDP, the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“There is no opposition for now. Zero fears,” he said of the opposition coalition champion on the ADC platform.
The new APC chair also boasted that his party would win the next presidential election.
“Why is it that all the by-elections in the last two years were all won by the APC and in landslide victories, in most cases?” he said.
As the new Chairman, Yilwatda is expected to build on the party’s strengths and attract new members, including those who have defected to other parties.
With his open door policy, the APC is hoping to consolidate its position and attract new supporters.
