The National Chairman of Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, has moved to fortify the party's leadership structure with a significant new wave of appointments.
Strengthening the Party's Core
On 24 December 2025, the chairman approved the selection of 15 new senior aides. The list includes Special Advisers, Advisers, and Senior Special Assistants (SSAs). According to a party statement, the primary objective is to enhance the administrative and strategic capabilities of the APC's national secretariat.
The move is framed as part of a broader initiative to improve internal coordination, policy development, and engagement with key stakeholders. The newly appointed officials are expected to leverage their professional expertise to support the national chairman in his duties.
A Wave of Criticism from Opposition
The decision has, however, drawn immediate and sharp criticism from major opposition parties, who label it as indulgent political patronage disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.
Ralph Nwosu, the immediate past National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that the action was unsurprising. He linked it to what he called the culture of bloated appointments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration.
"The ruling APC is just doing whatever it wants without any recourse to what Nigerians are passing through in terms of suffering," Nwosu said. He questioned the source of funding for the aides' remuneration and accused the APC of undermining effective political management. "When I was ADC National Chairman, I never had more than three aides," he added.
Condemnation Across Party Lines
The criticism was echoed by other opposition figures. Eddy Olafeso, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Vice Chairman for the South-West, described the APC as a party driven by profligacy.
He accused the ruling party of squandering resources at the party level while citizens struggle. "If a national chairman is making such bogus appointments, one can only imagine what is happening at the government level," Olafeso remarked.
Similarly, Tanko Yinusa, the spokesman for the Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, lamented the perceived decay and wastage introduced by the APC into governance. He criticized the party for its priorities, arguing that adequate resources are not being devoted to critical sectors like education and security, despite widespread economic hardship.
The appointments have clearly ignited a fresh political debate, pitting the APC's internal restructuring plans against the opposition's narrative of governmental excess during a national economic crisis.
