Tinubu doesn’t interfere with APC administration –Yilwatda

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentanwe Yilwatda, has said that President Bola Tinubu does not interfere with the party’s administration, dismissing insinuations that the presidency imposes decisions on its internal processes.

Speaking during a media chat on Wednesday, Mr Yilwatda said Mr Tinubu allows party structures to function independently while encouraging consultations and internal democracy.

He explained that although the president may be consulted on certain issues, he does not impose decisions on the party. Instead, he said Mr Tinubu listens to stakeholders, including the National Working Committee (NWC), and allows them to resolve matters at the state and national levels.

He added that the absence of conflict between APC governors and the president is evidence that there is no imposition, noting that such interference would have triggered internal crises.

“You don’t hear APC governors having conflict with the president…if he’s imposing his view on all that governors are doing, all that the party is doing, we would have had a lot of internal crisis. We’re having this smooth transition, smooth party management, internal party democracy because of what he’s doing,” he said.

The APC chairperson also said the president promotes internal democracy by insisting on transparent processes, such as credible congresses where party members freely choose their candidates.

Also speaking, the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, defended the party’s decision-making process, describing it as collective and driven by consensus.

Mr Basiru said major decisions of the party are taken by its highest organ, the National Executive Committee (NEC), and not by any individual.

He added that the APC’s approach of carrying members along reflects a commitment to democratic principles and inclusiveness.

“Actually, the highest expression of democratic decision is consensus… So as far as we are concerned, pursuing consensus is the highest form of democratic administration that everybody is in the basket,” he said.

He argued that if the president were dictating party affairs from the Presidential Villa, there would be no need for NEC meetings to deliberate and adopt resolutions guiding the party.

“Our political party, you can check in the past two and a half years, we have had decisions at the meeting of the highest decision-making body, NEC, at least three or four times.

“So if a person is sitting down in the confines of Aso Villa to determine for the party, he will not call eminent personalities composed of our NEC to come and make decisions, pass resolutions and give guidance as we go forward for our party,” he added.