I enjoy watching ADC, NDC attack each other, APC chair Yilwatda

Nentawe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that he finds amusement in observing the public disputes between opposition parties, characterizing their conflicts as self-inflicted. Yilwatda made these remarks during an appearance on Channels Television's 'Politics Today' program.

He asserted that the ruling APC is not preoccupied with engaging in battles against opposition parties. Instead, he framed the current political landscape as a contest primarily between the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Yilwatda described watching the exchanges between these parties with "fun," noting their "self-implosion" rather than any external pressure from the APC.

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In the last three weeks, the APC is not fighting ADC or NDC. It is NDC versus ADC or ADC versus NDC. Actually, I watched with fun all the insults that the ADC is raining on the NDC and the NDC is returning those fireworks on the ADC. I watched the videos, and I laughed. The self-implosion is in the opposition rather than in the APC.

When questioned about potentially orchestrating these opposition crises, Yilwatda denied direct involvement but acknowledged that weakening the opposition is a natural part of political strategy. "If you are opposing me, should I be happy? If you oppose me because you are in the opposition, what’s my job? Of course, to stop the opposition," he commented.

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No, I can’t. But I will be happy if I can do it. That’s my job. If you are opposing me, should I be happy? If you oppose me because you are in the opposition, what’s my job? Of course, to stop the opposition.

Yilwatda also emphasized the APC's robust internal conflict resolution mechanisms, citing committees at national and state levels designed to manage disputes arising from party activities. He pointed to the party's reliance on data from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for its membership registration process.

"To register as a member of the APC, your name and primary data are sourced from NIMC. That’s the same primary data that is used across the country to open a bank account, get a driver’s licence and secure an international passport," Yilwatda explained. He concluded that this data-driven approach makes the APC "one of the most politically viable and stable parties."

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To register as a member of the APC, your name and primary data are sourced from NIMC. That’s the same primary data that is used across the country to open a bank account, get a driver’s licence and secure an international passport. So we’re the only political party that sources our primary data from NIMC. This is why people have seen the APC as one of the most politically viable and stable parties. We are a data-driven political party.