The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, says the ruling party is the most youthful in Nigeria based on its membership composition.
Yilwatda spoke on Wednesday during a media chat with journalists in Abuja.
He said the APC currently has between 13 and 14 million registered members, with nearly half of them falling within the 18 to 35 age bracket.
“Out of that number, people within the age of 18 and 35 form roughly about 50 percent of our registered members — 49.6 percent — which means that we are among the most youthful party in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that about 82 percent of the party’s members are between the ages of 18 and 50, describing the APC as a party driven largely by young people.
“It means that it’s a party of the future, it’s a progressive party, that young people believe in it,” he said.
The APC chairman also highlighted the party’s recent electoral performance, noting that it has recorded victories across multiple regions in by-elections.
He said the party won five out of six area council elections in the federal capital territory, as well as over 80 percent of councillorship positions, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning the remainder.
Yilwatda added that the APC has secured wins in by-elections across the south-west, south-south, south-east, north-east, north-west, and north-central, describing it as the only party with such nationwide spread.
He said the party is working to deepen internal democracy and transparency through the adoption of technology in membership registration, verification, and auditing processes.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently visited the party’s headquarters to review its financial records and activities after the APC submitted its audited accounts.
Yilwatda said the party is also strengthening internal conflict resolution mechanisms to address disputes, adding that efforts are underway to improve governance by working closely with elected officials at different levels.
“We are not just running a party alone, but we are also helping in improving governance while we run the party,” he said.
