Convention: APC Screens Yilwatda, Baisru, Other National Offices’ Aspirants

Ahead of this weekend’s National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aspirants’ Screening Sub-committee, has screened the party’s national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and the national secretary, Sen. Ajibola Basiru who are seeking re-election for the offices they currently occupied.

Other aspirants who participated in the exercise held in Abuja on Tuesday include: the deputy national chairman (South), Emmanuel Eneukwu; deputy national chairman (North), Hon. Abubakar Dalori; national organising secretary, Sulaiman Argungu; deputy national organising secretary, Nze Duru, an aspirant for deputy national chairman(South), Dr Ben Nwoye.

Addressing journalists shortly after being screened, Yilwatda pledged his commitment to deepening internal democracy within the party if elected at the convention.

The national chairman, who is the only aspirant for the position noted that he had been endorsed by governors, critical stakeholders and all members of the party and would work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him if elected.

“Like I keep saying, the essence of leadership in a political party is to deepen democracy, and we’ve started by deepening the internal democracy in APC. If you look at the congresses that we’ve held, from the ward to the local government, and now at the zonal we’ve not had a single court case. It shows the level of internal democracy that we’ve provided for the APC.

“The entire APC believe in me and believe in the system that we’re running. All of them have endorsed me, virtually. The governors, the members, the youths. In short, it is the youths that even raised money for me to buy my form; and the women, the people with disabilities.

“Everybody is angling for me and nobody bought forms. Nobody even complained, and nobody said anything. So I’m excited, of course, that I have an opportunity to provide leadership for the party,” he added.

Also speaking, the national secretary, Basiru pledged internal cohesion within the party and administrative effectiveness and efficiency.

“I will say that the screening committee graciously acknowledged what we have been doing since we have been in the saddle of the secretary of the party since August 2023. And of course, we are charged to continue to work towards making the party cohesive and to ensure fairness and justice to all party members.

“We thank God that since we took over the mantle of leadership, salutary development has occurred in our party. Even before the amendment of the electoral act, we were able to drive registration which brought party members to about 12 million.

“We have also been able to ensure functional and effective secretariat for our party with an efficient and a group-based capital of enlarging capacity of the party. Of course, in terms of the process of the party, the conduct of primaries and organisation of activities, we have been able to ensure that we have brought a seamless and a safe-lying competence into that office.

“As I told the screening committee, one of the tasks that we have to do is to consolidate the strength of the party, and of course to ensure that our party structure, from the polling units up to the national convention, becomes very active,”he added.

For his part, chairman of the Aspirants’ Screening Sub-committee of the APC National Convention, 2026 and governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji reiterated the panel’s commitment to fairness and justice.

Final results of the screening exercise is being awaited at the time of this report.