APC Chairman Yilwatda Says Party Membership Offers No Shield From Prosecution

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that joining the ruling party does not protect anyone from investigation or prosecution, dismissing allegations that defectors are seeking cover from legal battles.

Yilwatda gave the assurance during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he challenged those making the allegations to provide evidence that the APC had shielded any member from prosecution.

“Nobody is protected,” the APC chairman declared . “I don’t want to mention names, but I know members of our party who are undergoing prosecution, who appear in court every day. And you mean to tell me that they are less members of the APC?”

He argued that party membership does not confer immunity from the law, insisting that the legal process must be allowed to run its course. He further invoked the presumption of innocence, stating that anyone who has not been convicted is presumed innocent under the law.

“As long as you have not been convicted, we assume you’re innocent because that’s what the law says,” Yilwatda said . “So, as APC members, we can’t use strict prosecutions to go ahead and deny people their fundamental human rights”.

The APC chairman’s remarks come amid a growing wave of defections to the ruling party, with critics alleging that politicians facing legal challenges are joining the APC to evade accountability.

Yilwatda did not directly address those specific allegations but maintained that the party’s position is that no member is above the law.

On the party’s internal disputes, Yilwatda said the APC had established committees to engage aggrieved stakeholders and resolve disagreements.

He maintained that disagreements within the party should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a breakdown in its internal structures, insisting that the APC was working to manage competing interests ahead of future elections.

He also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would win the 2027 presidential election, stating that the party was reviewing its presidential campaign council list and would inaugurate it soon.