The Progressive Youths for National Stability (PYNS) has expressed strong support for a proposal to grant automatic return tickets to performing federal lawmakers under the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of efforts to maintain legislative continuity and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national development agenda.
In a statement released on Monday, PYNS president Comrade Aminu Mustapha Bako urged the APC to adopt the policy ahead of the 2027 general elections. “This isn’t about entrenching individuals; it’s about entrenching progress,” Bako said. “What we are advocating is the continuity of competence. Lawmakers who have become engines of reform, who have stood shoulder to shoulder with the President to deliver critical legislation, deserve the opportunity to finish what they started.”
Bako argued that frequent turnover in the National Assembly often disrupts governance momentum and policy implementation, and said rewarding performance would help sustain progress.
He described the current legislature as “development partners” of the Tinubu administration, stressing the importance of protecting that working relationship.
“You cannot build a sustainable democracy on shifting sands,” Bako said. “If we keep changing the players every four years, we risk resetting progress. With a core team of experienced legislators, the President can focus on delivery, not damage control.”
The group also warned that efforts to destabilise the APC’s legislative base ahead of the 2027 elections were already underway, allegedly driven by an emerging anti-Tinubu coalition. Bako dismissed these as opportunistic moves lacking national interest.
“But what gives us confidence is that many lawmakers have remained unmoved — because they know President Tinubu is not only a master strategist, but also a leader who honours his word,” he said.
Bako said that lawmakers’ loyalty to Tinubu stems from “mutual respect, consistent engagement, and a shared vision for Nigeria’s future,” not coercion.
He also issued a subtle warning to dissenters within the party, referencing Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, who has publicly opposed the automatic ticket proposal. Bako called for reconciliation rather than division.
“Governor Alia has a right to his view, but there’s a bigger picture,” he said. “This is not the time for ego or posturing. This is the time to unify behind a President who has shown extraordinary courage in leading difficult reforms. Consensus, not conflict, must define the party’s approach moving forward.”
PYNS appealed to the APC National Working Committee to consider the long-term advantages of legislative continuity, cautioning that ongoing disputes over primaries could harm governance and the party’s electoral chances.
“What the party needs now is not division, but unity of purpose. We must reduce the cycle of post-primary litigation, factionalism, and distrust. Rewarding credible performance with continuity isn’t just good politics — it’s good governance,” the statement said.
According to the group, automatic return tickets should be viewed not as political favours but as strategic tools to ensure policy consistency and advance the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We must stop treating experience as expendable. This is about national interest, not narrow ambition. Automatic return tickets for those who have earned it is not a shortcut but a strategic path to a stronger, more stable, and more successful 2027,” the statement said.
