Reacting to NDC’s zoning of the presidency, the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Yilwatda and the Chairman of the PGF and Imo State Governor, Senator Uzodimma, have declared that the ADC and the NDC were not a threat to the ruling party.
Yilwatda said the ruling party has over 31 governors, 400 legislators in its fold compared to a “meagre” 17 lawmakers that recently defected to the NDC.
Yilwatda disclosed this in Abuja after the screening of governorship aspirants ahead of the party’s primary.
He maintained that the NDC was not a threat to the party despite zoning its presidential ticket to the South.
He stated: “Why should we be afraid? If you look at it now, the fight is not between APC and ADC or within our political party, but ADC versus NDC.
So, we’ve been vindicated when people say that APC was fighting the opposition.
“Now everybody has seen clearly that it is the opposition fighting themselves. So when you talk about having problems or challenges, why should we be afraid?
“All the by-elections – ADC has won none. In other by-elections, NDC has won none. The major opposition we have is actually PDP.
“And even the PDP has not done very well in terms of electoral performance. Performance is not on TV, it is not on radio; it is in newspapers, it is on the field during elections.”
Yilwatda noted that the recent defection of 17 lawmakers was meagre compared to 400 legislators that APC has.
He added: “17 legislators? We have over 400 legislators. Compared to 17, it is just a meagre number that has moved to those numbers.
“31 governors are still intact. We have over 600 local government chairmen. APC is the most prepared, most outstanding political party that right now can face anybody on earth. I have not seen a party that can give us a headache.”
On his part, Governor Uzodimma also insisted that none of the opposition parties is a threat to the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu.
His words: “The problem I have with the media is that you know the truth, yet you always want to dance around in a country of 36 states, and 31 are sufficiently and transparently members of the All Progressives Congress.
“Look at that proportion 31 states are already for president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, apart from some states that are half APC and half their party. If you add it to it. You know that Nigeria has spoken.
“So, I’m not, we’re not threatened by any. First of all, this party that zoned the presidential ticket to the South – where is their head office?”
Chuks Okocha and Sunday Aborisade
