The All Progressives Congress (APC) has ruled out the possibility of automatic tickets for incumbent National Assembly members seeking re-election. National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda stated clearly that the party's constitution and the Electoral Act do not allow for automatic candidacy. He made the remarks during a media chat in Abuja, emphasizing that all aspirants must go through established processes. "There is no automatic ticket in our constitution. The party cannot promise an automatic ticket," Yilwatda said. He reiterated that primaries must be conducted either by consensus or direct primaries, as stipulated by law. Every aspirant, including sitting lawmakers, would face the same procedures without exception. The chairman added that performance would play a key role in determining who gets party support. "The people and party members will judge those who have performed very well," he noted.
Nentawe Yilwatda's firm rejection of automatic tickets cuts through the expectation that sitting National Assembly members are entitled to re-nomination, a stance that directly challenges the entitlement culture entrenched in Nigerian politics. By anchoring his position in both the APC constitution and the Electoral Act, he shifts the focus from privilege to process, making it clear that no individual, regardless of current office, is above the party's rules.
This clarification comes at a time when public dissatisfaction with legislative performance is high, and internal party tensions over succession are building. Yilwatda's emphasis on performance as a criterion for re-election introduces a rare metric in a system where tenure often guarantees re-entry. It signals that loyalty to party structure may now compete with actual accountability to constituents.
For ordinary Nigerians, particularly APC members and voters in senatorial and federal constituencies, this means a more open contest for nominations could be on the horizon. Incumbents who have coasted on name recognition or institutional advantage may now face credible internal challenges.
This move fits a broader pattern within the APC of recalibrating power dynamics ahead of future elections, especially after internal fractures in previous cycles. It suggests a potential shift toward institutional discipline, even if enforcement remains to be tested across states and zones.
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