APC Urges Stronger Commitment to Loyal Members

Bennett Oghifo

The convener of the BAT Ideological Group (BAT‑IG), Bamidele Atoyebi, urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to strengthen its structure so that it better serves committed party members and grassroots supporters.

In a statement titled “BAT‑Home‑Cell: APC Needs be More Committed, Dedicated to Members,” Atoyebi said the current APC primaries show a move away from elite‑driven candidate selection toward a process that allows popular and capable individuals to emerge.

He noted that the old practice of imposing candidates often produced leaders who were disconnected from the people and careless with public resources meant for development and party welfare.

Atoyebi praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for enabling greater grassroots participation, describing him as a leader who understands the demands of ordinary party members for proper representation.

He argued that the same level of scrutiny applied in party primaries should also be used for political appointments, including ministers and heads of government agencies.

According to him, many appointees become inaccessible after assuming office, rely on gatekeepers, and shut out loyal party members who understand the challenges facing communities.

Drawing from personal experiences, Atoyebi recounted visiting the Tinubu Support Group office where he encountered poor welfare conditions and met a struggling female supporter who volunteered to clean a dirty restroom for a small payment. After hearing her story about financial hardship despite years of loyalty to the party, he offered further support. He said similar encounters during reconciliation tours and grassroots mobilisation efforts revealed widespread feelings of abandonment among party faithful.

He maintained that President Tinubu is widely known for helping people who can directly reach him, but said the problem lies with intermediaries and representatives who fail to properly manage relationships between the government and supporters.

To address this gap, Atoyebi pointed to his BAT‑Home‑Cell initiative, which he described as a structured grassroots network designed to identify loyal members, monitor participation and ensure supporters benefit from their contributions to the party.

The BAT‑IG convener also warned that economic hardship and poor communication have made many APC supporters vulnerable to opposition narratives, especially on social media. He said some frustrated party loyalists have become receptive to criticism over fuel prices, electricity costs and living conditions because they lack adequate political orientation and support.

He cited government programmes such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiatives, and major infrastructure projects including the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto‑Badagry Super Highway as examples of mega projects the opposition often ignores despite their economic impact.

Atoyebi further observed that some APC members believe the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears more organised in rewarding loyal supporters with appointments, while longstanding APC faithful are sometimes overlooked in favour of politicians who previously belonged to rival parties.

He proposed creating dedicated departments within the APC focused on emergency response, welfare, healthcare, policy coordination and capacity building. He said integrating BAT‑IG into such structures would strengthen the party beyond 2031 and protect grassroots members from manipulation by opposition groups through financial inducements and misinformation.

Atoyebi added that he remains available to help implement the strategy in support of the ruling party’s long‑term stability and grassroots growth.

The convener of the BAT Ideological Group also serves as the national coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring PR and a publisher of Unfiltered and Mining reports.