JOS, Nigeria — The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, says the ruling party is fully prepared for the 2027 presidential election and is not intimidated by the prospect of former President Goodluck Jonathan returning to the race.
Speaking on a radio programme in Jos, Yilwatda dismissed Jonathan’s speculated candidacy and downplayed the relevance of the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as “dead on arrival.”
According to Yilwatda, the APC has a strong and cohesive political structure that makes it unshakeable.
“APC is not scared of any name in Nigeria. Our engines, our machineries are well-oiled, prepared to win election and win emphatically,” he said.
He mocked the opposition for lacking a viable political platform, asking rhetorically:
“Which vehicle will carry Jonathan? Is it ADC? Is it PDP?”
The APC chairman pointed out that recent electoral re-runs showed the weakness of opposition parties, noting that none could secure a single seat in the North or dominate in the South-South and South-East.
Yilwatda praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as political maturity and sacrifice, recalling the role Tinubu played in the 2013 coalition that birthed the APC.
“When there was a coalition in 2013, people did not give Asiwaju enough credit. He did not contest the presidency, but he was at the centre, bringing candidates together, investing resources without asking for anything in return. That’s why the merger worked,” Yilwatda said.
In contrast, he argued that current attempts at coalition-building were futile because “everyone is seeking the ticket with no central leader or rallying point.”
Turning his focus to Plateau State, Yilwatda launched a scathing attack on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government, accusing it of corruption and poor governance.
“There’s no state government in Nigeria right now that’s been invited by EFCC for corruption cases more than Plateau State,” he alleged.
He said the high frequency of government officials and their associates being summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was a clear signal of corruption within the administration.
Yilwatda concluded that opposition parties remained fragmented and lacked the structure to mount a serious national challenge to the APC.
“All the oppositions as they are now are just pockets of opposition in communities and states, there’s no national opposition,” he insisted.
