By Ify Okoli
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has told political appointees serving under
President Bola Tinubu that holding public office also comes with a duty to
support the ruling party, warning that those unwilling to do so should resign.
Yilwatda gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while
receiving members of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen's Forum, led by
the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area in Niger State, Dr Mustafa
Jibrin. The delegation briefed him on its grassroots mobilisation plans ahead
of the 2027 general election.
Addressing the gathering, the APC chairman said political
appointments are not meant for people who want to remain detached from party
activities. According to him, anyone who accepts such a position must also be
prepared to contribute to the party's growth and electoral success.
He dismissed the argument that some appointees are technocrats
and should not be expected to engage in politics, insisting that political
responsibility comes with the office. He said those who prefer to stay out of
partisan activities should not have accepted political appointments in the
first place.
Yilwatda also called on council chairmen across the country
to closely monitor the political involvement of government appointees in their
local communities. He said they were best placed to know who was genuinely
working to strengthen the APC at the grassroots and who was absent from party
activities despite holding government positions.
According to him, strong performance in public office alone
is not enough if an appointee has little or no political presence in their
ward. He urged local government leaders to identify officials who were failing
to mobilise support for the party and point out areas where the APC needed to
improve ahead of the next election.
The APC chairman stressed that victory in 2027 would depend
largely on effective grassroots mobilisation rather than administrative
achievements alone. He assured members of the forum that the party would
support their mobilisation drive, including the inauguration of state
coordinators and plans for a major endorsement rally in Abuja in support of
President Tinubu's re-election bid.
Post a Comment