The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned political appointees serving in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that they must actively participate in the party’s political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election or relinquish their appointments.
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 the APC leadership on its grassroots mobilisation strategy aimed at securing victory for the ruling party in the 2027 polls.
The APC chairman maintained that political appointments come with partisan responsibilities, stressing that appointees could not hide behind the label of technocrats while distancing themselves from the party’s political activities.
According to him, local government chairmen, being closer to the grassroots, are in a better position to assess whether government appointees are contributing to the party’s electoral fortunes in their respective constituencies.
“It is you who will tell me that this commissioner is not working. Maybe he is working in the office, but politically he is zero in his ward.
“It is you who know whether this director general may be working in the office, but politically he is zero back home,” Yilwatda said.
He argued that anyone occupying a political office must also function as a politician, dismissing claims by some appointees that they were merely technocrats.
“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,” he said.
Yilwatda further advised individuals unwilling to engage in partisan politics to reject political appointments from the outset, noting that electoral success depends on effective grassroots mobilisation rather than administrative performance alone.
“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,” he added.
The APC national chairman also assured members of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen’s Forum of the party’s support for their mobilisation efforts, including the planned inauguration of state coordinators and a proposed mass endorsement rally for President Tinubu in Abuja ahead of the 2027 election.
“We will support you. We will stand by you. We will ensure that we have a strong partnership that will give this party a strong victory in 2027,” he said.
He added that the party leadership would participate in the forum’s mobilisation programmes without waiting for formal invitations, stressing the importance of collective commitment to the APC’s electoral success.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Dr. Mustafa Jibrin, said the Progressive Local Government Chairmen’s Forum currently enjoys the support of more than 685 local government chairmen and 31 governors aligned with the APC.
Jibrin disclosed that the forum had set a target of delivering at least 70 per cent of the votes cast in the 2027 general election for the ruling party.
He added that the initiative has the backing of Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, who nominated him to lead the forum, and revealed plans to mobilise all 685 council chairmen and their councillors for a formal endorsement of President Tinubu’s second-term bid on a date yet to be announced.