Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen reflected on the rapid growth of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and concluded that the leadership of the party must do everything possible to avoid fragmentation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Speaker who spoke at the National Executive Committee Meeting of the APC said the party strives to maintain a fair balance between the old and new members which he said is now a strategic imperative.
According to him, if the current growth of the party is not handled with sensitivity, fairness, and institutional discipline, it can lead to fragmentation, adding that "fragmentation is a luxury the party cannot afford as we look towards 2027."
The Speaker asked the party to create models and strategies on how to manage its new and old members and codify the achievements of the ruling party, while proposing three things the APC must do to remain a united ruling party.
He said, "allow me to turn directly to the question of party unity. At our caucus meeting yesterday, I made a point that bears repeating at this NEC. Today, the All Progressives Congress is not the same party it was in 2015 or even in 2019. We are a governing coalition that continues to grow. We have founding members who built the party through sacrifice. We also have new members who have joined us because they see the APC as the vehicle of national stability and progress.
"Managing this balance between old and new members is now a strategic imperative. If not handled with sensitivity, fairness, and institutional discipline, it can lead to fragmentation. Fragmentation is a luxury the party cannot afford as we look towards 2027.
"Cohesion does not mean uniformity. It means inclusion, respect for contribution, and clear rules that bind everyone equally. NEC has a critical role in ensuring that integration is deliberate, grievances are addressed early, and party structures remain authoritative."
Speaker Abbas said further that from comparative experience in advanced democracies that parties lose power not primarily because of opposition strength, but because of internal disorganisation and unresolved factionalism. "Unity, therefore, is not a slogan. It is a system. This is why I respectfully propose three practical steps for our party."
The first approach, he said, is to institutionalise a simple APC Governance Delivery Dashboard: a quarterly snapshot that tracks cost of living indicators, security outcomes, job creation initiatives, and key social interventions. Not for propaganda, but tor internal discipline. Parties that govern well measure themselves honestly before the public does it for them," he stated.
According to him, the second approach is to formalise a Legislative Executive Programme Grid: a clear mapping between our manifesto commitments, the bills before the National Assembly, and the budget lines that fund them, saying "this ensures coherence. It prevents policy drift. It allows our candidates and officials to speak with one voice across all levels of government".
The third approach he said is to strengthen internal democracy without weakening governing capacity, insisting that "disagreements are inevitable in a large coalition like ours. What matters is process. Clear rules. Timely dispute resolution. Respect for party organs. In mature democracies, parties lose not because they disagree, but because they allow disagreements to become public disorder".
The Speaker stressed that candidates' quality also deserves urgent attention, saying "weak candidates do not merely lose elections. They undermine governance and erode party credibility. Training, ethical standards, and basic policy literacy should be seen as national assets, not optional extras.
"As we prepare for the next phase of governance and electoral competition, let us remember that Nigerians are watching less what we say and more what we deliver. The All Progressives Congress must remain a party that wins power and earns trust. A party that governs with discipline. A party that sees institutions not as obstacles, but as instruments of national renewal."
He said the House of Representatives appreciates the efforts of the President at rebuilding the country, saying in a period of profound economic adjustment and inherited structural constraints, the President has "demonstrated resolve, clarity of purpose, and confidence in democratic institutions."
He added that the reforms "have been difficult but necessary, with the legislature working to stabilise them through law, oversight, and representation."
The Speaker noted, "In mature democracies, reform relies on legislative partnership, which this administration has deliberately fostered."