The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed the electoral strength of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring that the opposition coalition poses no serious challenge to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda made the assertion on Tuesday while speaking on Politics Today, a flagship political programme on Channels Television, where he downplayed the political weight of key figures within the ADC-led coalition.
According to the APC chairman, the ADC is largely made up of politicians whose only shared objective is to dislodge the ruling party, rather than present a coherent alternative vision for governance.
He insisted that, in terms of structure, experience, and nationwide spread, the APC remains far ahead of the opposition.
He rejected allegations that the ruling party was coercing civil servants into joining its ranks, describing such claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
Yilwatda maintained that the APC’s growing membership, including the defection of some opposition governors, was driven by confidence in the party’s leadership and performance.
“We have not forced any civil servant to join the APC,” he said, adding that there was no evidence to support claims of intimidation or compulsory recruitment.
Yilwatda further argued that the APC was not intimidated by the calibre of politicians associated with the ADC, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola.
He noted that while the opposition coalition often highlights prominent individuals, the APC boasts a deeper bench of experienced political leaders across the country.
He cited former Senate Presidents within the APC as evidence of the party’s institutional strength.
Turning to governance, the APC chairman said the ruling party’s confidence ahead of 2027 was anchored on the performance of the APC-led Federal Government and its social intervention programmes.
He highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the administration’s key initiatives aimed at easing the burden of tuition fees on students and families nationwide.
According to him, the programme allows students to access loans that cover their school fees, alongside a monthly allowance of N20,000.
Yilwatda said the scheme had already benefited over one million students across the country, many of whom now support their families, invest in small-scale farming, or assist younger siblings with school expenses.
He described NELFUND as a social protection mechanism that provides relief not only to students but also to parents and households struggling with rising education costs.
The APC chairman also referenced other welfare programmes of the Federal Government, including expanded health insurance coverage, which he said has reached between four and five million Nigerians.
Yilwatda expressed confidence that these interventions, alongside the party’s organisational strength, would secure the APC’s dominance in the 2027 polls.
