The Northern Nigeria Youth Leaders Forum has kicked against demands for the removal of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.
The group says the calls for his resignation are politically motivated and do not represent the views of genuine party members.
Speaking in Abuja, the National President of the Forum, Murtala Gamji, dismissed the push for Prof. Yilwatda to step down.
He argued that those behind the demand are not acting in the interest of the APC or its supporters across the country.
Last week, another group known as the All Progressives Congress Youth Solidarity Network (APC-YSN), led by Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince, issued a two-week ultimatum to the APC Chairman to resign.
They claimed the party chairman had failed in leadership and accused him of weakening the party’s popularity, adding that this could affect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 election.
But reacting, the Northern Forum strongly condemned the move and questioned the integrity and motive of those pushing the resignation agenda. Gamji described them as individuals with questionable political identity and loyalty.
He said: “That individual calling on our National Chairman to resign is not even a member of APC. We schooled together in ABU Zaria. He is from Auchi and a PDP member. He has even been sanctioned in the PDP circle in Auchi, Edo State. So we don’t know his link with our untouchable Chairman.”
The Forum also defended Yilwatda’s leadership, noting that he only recently took the position and had already attracted key figures into the APC. Gamji warned that attempts to destabilise the party leadership will not be tolerated.
Responding to claims that the Chairman blocked Governor Caleb Mutfwang from defecting to the APC, Gamji clarified that the allegation was false.
He stressed that the chairman welcomes new members and cannot stop any governor from joining the ruling party.
According to him, “The National Chairman is a democrat and cannot stop any governor from joining the APC. The governor himself admitted publicly that he is under pressure to join APC. Nobody is stopping him.”
The Forum also rejected calls for President Tinubu to probe the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, describing such efforts as harmful to national interest.
It insisted that individuals behind such campaigns do not mean well for the country.
