With the screening for candidates contesting elections under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) set to commence this weekend, the South South Youths Initiative (SSYI), has called on the National Chairman of the party, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and the National Secretary, Ajibola Bashiru to stick to the directive of President Bola Tinubu regarding the nomination and emergence of candidates for the forthcoming election.
SSYI in a statement by its National President, Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar, recalled President Tinubu’s directive at a meeting with governors and leaders of the party on April 23rd, 2026 before his departure from the country, that governors should have the sole power to decide on which form of primaries to be adopted (either direct or consensus).
However, the youth body said yesterday’s comments by both the National chairman and secretary of the party directing for only direct primaries or in case of consensus, all leaders of the party must endorse such candidate as disturbing and confusing.
Oscar said the later directive seems to be a direct disregard to the President’s directive by the APC leadership, wondering if the leadership of the party can’t obey Mr. President’s directives.
He said: “The President before his departure handed over the power of conducting a consensus or direct primaries to the governors, and that the governors should be the deciding factor of who emerges as APC candidates in the various states, in the 26 states.
” Just yesterday, the party national chairman along with the party secretary have changed the directive of Mr President directing that it should be direct primaries and that all party leaders must sign or agree for any consensus candidate to emerge. Is it that the directive of Mr. President cannot be respected by the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the All Progressive Congress in Nigeria?
He said the counter directive could make the party face further internal wranglings especially here in Rivers State where someone who is not a member of the party decides what happens in the party.
He maintained that the earlier directive by Mr. President be respected for peace to continue to thrive in APC Rivers.
”For example, in the case of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister is not a member of the APC, but he is the one taking most of the positions in APC. So is APC going to create more room for outsiders to have a superior power than party member?
”We are of the view that the position of Mr. President be respected as it will go down well with the people of Rivers State, considering the political crisis that we have faced because of the meddlesome attitude of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, but the recent directive of the National Chairman and secretary is now creating confusion in the midst of party members”.
