The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, says the ruling party has the organisational strength to win Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, citing more than 261,000 party executive committee members across the country.
Yilwatda made the remarks in Abuja on Thursday, 15 October 2026, while receiving members of the House of Representatives Aspirants Forum for Tinubu/Shettima 2027.
According to TheCable, the APC chairman argued that the party’s nationwide structure, elected officeholders and grassroots networks place it in a stronger position than its political rivals.
He urged the visiting aspirants to work with existing party structures to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
However, the figures presented by Yilwatda are party claims. They do not establish the number of voters who will support the APC in the election.
Yilwatda points to APC’s nationwide structure
The APC chairman said the party had more governors, ministers, local government chairmen and councillors than opposition parties.
He also claimed that no other political party could match the APC’s organisational reach.
Yilwatda described the party’s executive committee members as an important part of its ability to organise campaigns and mobilise support at the grassroots.
His figure of more than 261,000 refers to people holding party executive positions. It is not a count of registered APC members, eligible voters, or confirmed electoral supporters.
The available reports do not provide an independent audit of the figure or a comparable breakdown of executive positions across other political parties.
Yilwatda nevertheless maintained that the party could turn its organisational strength into votes.
As reported by Punch, he told the aspirants that the APC had the capacity to secure victory and encouraged them to remain active in the party’s campaign activities.
Former PDP aspirants pledge support for Tinubu
The meeting also brought together former House of Representatives aspirants who had previously been associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Members of the forum pledged to support the re-election of Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
According to Independent Nigeria, the group said it had members and political contacts across Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies.
Its representatives explained that the forum was established in 2022 to bring together politicians who had contested party primaries without securing nominations.
Some members subsequently moved to the APC and decided to support the president’s re-election campaign.
The forum said it intended to work with existing party structures rather than establish a competing organisation.
Its plans include grassroots mobilisation, public engagement, and the distribution of campaign materials promoting the administration’s record.
The group also proposed political conferences across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
APC chairman urges members to remain involved
Yilwatda encouraged aspirants who had experienced political setbacks to continue participating in party activities.
He said political opportunities were limited and that members should remain committed even when they failed to secure nominations or appointments.
The chairman also described the APC as a party that sought to accommodate people from different religious, ethnic, educational, and social backgrounds.
He said opportunities should be available to young people, women, and people with disabilities.
These statements reflect the party leadership’s position on inclusion. The reports did not provide an independent assessment of how well those objectives have been achieved.
Tinubu’s policies feature in the re-election argument
Yilwatda also defended the Tinubu administration’s performance, pointing to transport infrastructure and the federal student loan programme.
He cited the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other road and railway projects as examples of investments he believes could improve trade and economic activity.
However, citing infrastructure projects does not establish that every project has been completed or that voters approve of the government’s performance.
The chairman also praised the student loan scheme, referring to the ₦20,000 monthly upkeep allowance available to eligible beneficiaries.
He recounted the example of a student who reportedly used part of the allowance to buy a second-hand refrigerator and begin an iced-fish business.
The account was presented by Yilwatda as an example of the programme’s potential benefits. The individual case was not independently verified in the reports reviewed.
These policy references formed part of the chairman’s argument for giving Tinubu another term in office.
Party strength does not guarantee election victory
The APC’s organisational reach may help it coordinate campaign activities, recruit volunteers and mobilise supporters.
However, the number of party officials or elected officeholders does not determine the outcome of a national election.
Results depend on votes cast by eligible voters and the application of Nigeria’s electoral laws.
The claims made by Yilwatda have not been presented as findings by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and they should not be treated as a forecast of the final result.
Opposition parties will also seek to mobilise voters and present their own candidates and policy proposals.
For now, the chairman’s remarks show how the APC intends to use its nationwide structure and the administration’s record to campaign for another term.
Whether that strategy succeeds will be decided through the electoral process in 2027.
