BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, says the days of offering political appointments to technocrats or professionals will be gone for good come 2027 general elections.
Worried by the complaints of party members that ‘outsiders’ seem to be enjoying political patronage and favours more in the current dispensation, he said come 2027, such perks will strictly be reserved for party loyalists for accountability, internal cohesion and discipline.
Prof Nentawe, who dropped the hints at an event tagged, “Renewed Hope Promise Kept 2027: Meet and Greet North-West Mobilisation”, stated clearly that governance is inherently political and appointees must actively support the party that brought them to office and power.
According to him, with the 2027 polls in view, all government appointees must be visible in grassroots politics and actively participate in party activities, warning that there would be “nothing like technocrats” when it comes to political appointments.
Further clarifying his position, the APC National Chairman said: “We should always look back and remind ourselves of what brought us here. It is votes. There is no vote called technocrats. Once you are given a political appointment, you are a politician. Simple”.
On his argument that only individuals willing to actively work for APC should be considered for appointments, Prof Nentawe said: “As party chairman, I will stand strong to defend the position that if you are not prepared to join us, you shouldn’t be given an appointment. If you are a technocrat, go and be a consultant.”
Further urging appointees to combine governance with politics, he said, “Government policies are campaign promises that must be defended, explained, and promoted by those implementing them. Appointees cannot divorce themselves from party objectives.”
For him, detachment from political mobilisation could weaken the party’s grip on power, even as he described the North-West as the “bedrock” of the APC’s success in the 2023 elections, assuring that the region would remain decisive in 2027, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of the party’s membership nationwide, with youths forming the majority.
The APC Chairman stated that, “Out of the registered members in the North-West, 48 per cent are between the ages of 18 and 35. This means young people own this party.”
Also noting that members aged 50 and above account for just 17 per cent of the APC’s base in the region, Prof Nentawe insisted that appointees must actively engage with the grassroots, adding that political visibility is a requirement, not an option.
While cautioning that the APC cannot rely solely on technocrats who do not participate in party mobilisation, he said, “Once you are given a political appointment, you are a politician. If all appointees decide to become technocrats, the party will never return to power.”
He praised the event’s organiser, Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, and promised to ensure the President is fully aware of initiatives that reflect party unity and mobilisation, noting that such efforts should serve as a reference for all ministers and appointees.
On the strategic importance of the North-West region, Prof Nentawe described it as the APC’s “vote bedrock”, stressing that youth engagement in the region remains central to the APC’s 2027 strategy with nearly half of registered members being between 18 and 35 years old.
In her intervention, Special Adviser on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), Hadiza Bala-Usman, said the North-West delivered the highest number of votes for the APC in 2023 and must remain united to do even better in 2027.
She said: “We are a vote basket and we must retain that. Nobody should work hard to win elections while others stroll in to collect appointments and hide behind being technocrats.”
The Presidential Aide, who warned that political appointees who fail to campaign or mobilise for the party would not be tolerated, said there is no denying the fact that appointments come with political obligations.
Going forward, former Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) said: “Once you are a political appointee, you must come out, show your face, show your hand, and support the party.”
The event, which was organised by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, took place in Abuja on the night of Tuesday, January 21, 2026
