National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Nentawe Yilwatda has said the party is not concerned about Peter Obi joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Chairman Yilwatda spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the purchase and submission of APC nomination and expression of interest forms for the 2027 elections.
Mr Obi, who was the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the NDC.
Reacting to the move, Yilwatda said the crisis within opposition parties does not affect the APC.
“If someone defects from ADC to NDC or another opposition party, that does not affect APC. Let them sort out their problems. APC remains solid and we are moving forward with strong numbers,” he said.
He also dismissed the reported movement of about 18 National Assembly members from ADC to NDC, saying it poses no threat to the ruling party.
“You talked about a shocker. Seventeen lawmakers out of about 459 is less than five per cent. Should I be worried about that? I am not worried,” he said.
Yilwatda added that none of the defectors came from the APC.
“None of those defecting is from our party. They are fishing from the same pond,” he said.
The APC chairman said the turnout for the purchase of nomination forms shows growing support for the party across the country.
“Nigerians are happy with what APC is doing. They love and accept the party across all geopolitical zones,” he said.
He also said the party would not extend the deadline for the purchase and submission of forms because of timelines set by the Electoral Act.
“We would have loved to extend the time, but we are time-bound. The Electoral Act limits the timeframe for conducting primaries and submitting results,” he said.
Yilwatda added that the party would introduce measures during screening to manage the number of aspirants and supporters at the venue.
