National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that Nigerians who voted for President Bola Tinubu in 2023 will do the same in 2027.
He stressed that the president’s reforms were necessary and have already improved governance across the country.
“All the reforms taken by President Tinubu were necessary, and they have improved services in Nigeria,” Yilwatda said in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday.
The APC chairman pointed to recent fiscal gains as proof of progress, noting that monthly allocations to states had risen from less than ₦500 billion to about ₦2 trillion following subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms.
According to him, the reforms have enabled states and local governments to pay salaries promptly, reduce borrowing, and expand services.
“In 2023, about 24 states were borrowing to pay salaries. Today, no state is defaulting, and several have reduced their debts,” he said, adding that Tinubu’s decisions on subsidy, forex unification, and tax reforms were measures all political actors had previously agreed were unavoidable.
Responding to suggestions that Nigerians may vote against the APC due to economic hardship, Yilwatda maintained that government policies were already easing pressure and boosting revenues nationwide.
“It is the same Nigerians that are voting us in by-elections who will vote in 2027. We are not going to import Nigerians from heaven to vote. These same Nigerians are witnessing improvements in governance,” he said.
“The APC remains the most formidable and most prepared party for Nigerians,” Yilwatda stated.
The APC chairman insisted that claims of mass defections from the ruling party were exaggerated, arguing instead that APC was expanding as more politicians defected from opposition parties.
According to him, for every one member who leaves the APC, “a thousand” are joining, including governors, National Assembly members, state lawmakers, and other prominent figures.
He said even those who resigned from the party without joining another platform were being actively engaged to return.
“Politics is about engagement, and we are making sure we bring as many people back to the fold as possible. APC is still their home,” he noted.
Yilwatda also defended the APC’s internal cohesion, contrasting it with the internal crises facing opposition parties.
He pointed to his own emergence as chairman, which he said came without dissent from any governor, legislator, or party stakeholder, as proof of the APC’s stability.
“Unlike other political parties that are battling court cases, internal wrangling, and lack of democracy, no one in the APC has gone to court or openly opposed party decisions. We are united, formidable, and the most prepared political party for Nigerians,” he said.
On the 2027 presidential ticket, Yilwatda confirmed that APC governors, lawmakers, and stakeholders had unanimously endorsed Tinubu as their preferred candidate. However, he explained that the Electoral Act requires primaries to be conducted, even if the president runs unopposed.
The chairman further dismissed the strength of the opposition, arguing that unlike in 2013 when the APC was formed under a united leadership, today’s opposition lacks cohesion and is fragmented by the pursuit of personal ambitions.
“Almost everybody running to ADC or other platforms is looking for a ticket. They are not organised as an opposition,” he remarked.
He highlighted that the APC’s recent by-election victories across different regions and the benefits of Tinubu’s reforms such as higher federal allocations to states, reduced borrowing, and improved salary payments are clear signs that Nigerians will continue to support the ruling party in 2027.
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