2027: Quit if you can’t campaign for us, APC tells Tinubu’s ‘technocrats’

Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning to political appointees serving in President Bola Tinubu's government: they must actively participate in party mobilization or step down from their positions. APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda declared that individuals cannot hold political appointments while simultaneously claiming to be technocrats detached from partisan responsibilities.

Speaking in Abuja, Yilwatda received members of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen’s Forum, who briefed him on their grassroots mobilization efforts for the upcoming 2027 general election. He highlighted that local government chairmen, being closer to the populace, are better positioned to identify appointees who are underperforming politically within their wards, irrespective of their administrative efficiency.

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We call them political appointees. There is a word ‘political’ there. They are not just technocrats. They are political appointees. You can’t be holding a political position and then say you are not a politician.

"We call them political appointees. There is a word ‘political’ there. They are not just technocrats. They are political appointees. You can’t be holding a political position and then say you are not a politician," Yilwatda stated. He likened such claims to denying one's ethnic identity despite bearing its clear markers, emphasizing that political appointees are inherently part of the political landscape.

The party chairman stressed that those who wish to avoid political engagement should decline political appointments from the outset. He underscored that the APC's success hinges on mobilizing votes, and appointees who see themselves solely as administrators are not contributing to this critical objective. The APC leadership pledged full support for the local government chairmen's mobilization activities, aiming for a strong victory in 2027.

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If you don’t want to be a politician, don’t take a political appointment. We work to mobilise votes. Without the votes, you can’t be in office. That is why we need you to work with these people. Tell them they are not doing well. Tell them where we need to work harder. Tell them where we have leakages so that we can win the election.