Why We Are Tolerating Wike – APC Chairman, Yilwatda

ABUJA – The All Progressives Congress (APC) is only tolerating and accommodating FCT Minister Nyesom Wike because of a standing pact with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has declared.

Yilwatda said the ruling party continues to work closely with the minister despite their different political platforms. He stressed that Wike has not formally decamped to the APC but is simply honouring the working relationship the two parties struck after the minister secured permission from the PDP to serve in the Tinubu administration.

The chairman spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday shortly after a closed-door meeting with APC stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory. The session was held amid rising tensions over the ongoing ward and state congresses in the FCT. NaijaChoice News reports that Yilwatda used the occasion to address complaints from foundation members who accused PDP defectors of attempting to hijack party structures.

He cautioned the original APC faithful in the FCT not to abandon the party or allow defectors to push them aside under any pressure. “Defectors must not displace those who built the party from the beginning,” he warned.

Yilwatda also disclosed that the APC has earmarked over N250 million to fund the ward and state congresses across the FCT. He appealed to all stakeholders to shelve tribal, religious and ethnic differences and close ranks as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The national chairman called for harmony in the sharing of elective and appointive positions. “There must be balance so that every member feels a sense of belonging,” he said.

He urged all tribes and interest groups within the APC to embrace inclusiveness, diversity, tolerance and love. According to him, only such unity can guarantee the party’s success at the polls.

The remarks come as the APC grapples with internal wrangling in the FCT even as it eyes bigger gains in 2027. Political watchers say the chairman’s position on Wike underscores the delicate alliances the ruling party is managing to keep key figures in government while protecting its own structures ahead of the next election cycle.