The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned political appointees serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration that they must actively support and mobilise for the party or be prepared to leave their positions.

The party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe 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 of Niger State, Dr Mustafa Jibrin.

The forum briefed the APC chairman on its grassroots mobilisation plans ahead of the 2027 general election.

“You cannot hide behind the claim of being a technocrat to avoid your political responsibilities. If you accept a political appointment, you must also play your role as a politician,” he said.

The APC chairman further said anyone who did not want to participate in politics should not accept a political appointment in the first place.

The APC national chairman urged the local government chairmen to monitor the political performance of government appointees in their communities and report those who were failing to support the party at the grassroots.

According to him, council chairmen are in a better position to know whether political appointees are making meaningful contributions to the party in their wards.

“You know who is delivering politically at the grassroots. An appointee may be performing well in the office, but if they have no political presence in their ward, that is a problem. Anyone who accepts a political appointment must also accept the responsibilities that come with politics,” he said.

Yilwatda stressed that the APC’s success in the 2027 elections would depend on effective grassroots mobilisation rather than administrative performance alone.

He urged the local government chairmen to point out areas where political appointees were underperforming, identify where the party needed to improve, and highlight weaknesses that should be addressed to strengthen the APC’s chances of winning future elections.

“We will give you our full support in your mobilisation efforts. The party will also support the inauguration of your state coordinators and work with you to organise a mass endorsement rally for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in Abuja,” he stated.

The Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, says joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is like boarding Prophet Noah’s Ark.

Governor Namadi stated this while commenting after receiving the Minority Leader of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Kabiru Ibrahim, who defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC.

Before his defection, Hon. Kabiru Ibrahim, who represents Birnin Kudu Constituency, was the only House of Assembly member from the opposition PDP.

Governor Namadi explained that in Jigawa, anyone interested in politics should join the APC.

“Today in Jigawa, if you want to engage in politics and you are not joining the APC, you are wasting your time.

“Therefore, the APC is like Prophet Noah’s Ark. Once it starts moving, if Allah helps you board, you have to thank the Almighty for giving you the opportunity to join.

“We thank Allah for the tremendous successes He has continued to grant us through the overwhelming support we are receiving from everywhere,” he said.

To Hon. Ibrahim, the governor said, “Your return brings to the end of opposition in the Jigawa State House of Assembly. No more opposition member. The whole state Assembly is now for APC.”

Earlier, Hon. Kabiru Ibrahim said he joined the ruling APC due to its good manifesto and the leadership style of Governor Umar Namadi.

He said that before his defection, he consulted his followers, who all agreed to join him, including some PDP ward and local government executives.

He promised to do his best to ensure the party remained victorious in the coming general election.

The state chairman of the party, Ahmad Garba, assured the lawmaker and other defectors of equal opportunities with other APC members.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over his comment that he was prepared to ‘fight to the finish’ politically.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party stated that Tinubu should direct that resolve against terrorists, bandits and kidnappers instead of the opposition.

The ADC said with the incessant killings and kidnappings in various parts of the country, Nigerians are looking to the President for decisive action against insecurity, not another political showdown with his opponents.

According to the opposition, Tinubu’s remarks were troubling, noting that they came during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, only hours after gunmen killed at least 30 people in Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“Nigerians did not elect a Commander-in-Chief to become the nation’s chief issuer of condolence statements.

“Mr President, the fight Nigerians elected you to lead is not against the opposition. It is against the terrorists, kidnappers and armed criminals who continue to kill innocent citizens and destabilise communities across the country,” the ADC said in the statement.

According to the ADC, the attack on Naridon village left homes burnt, families displaced and yet another community devastated by violence, arguing that such tragedies demanded stronger action from the Federal Government.