*Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, highlights how the political party’s the political party’s solid organisational structure, extensive nationwide presence, and membership strength of approximately 13 million members give it a significant advantage over others ahead of the 2027 General Elections in Nigeria
Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect
The leadership of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that the political party’s solid organisational structure, extensive nationwide presence, and membership strength of approximately 13 million members give it a significant advantage over other political parties ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, National Chairman of APC, stated this while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, over the weekend, at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, FCT.
Yilwatda received the ECOWAS Mission with other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser to the APC Chairman on Media and Information Strategy, in a statement, said Prof. Yilwatda said the party had, over the years, built an extensive and well-coordinated political organisation that distinguishes it from other political parties in Nigeria.
He noted this attribute well places the APC in a strong position to mobilise voters and compete effectively in the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party’s strength is rooted not merely in its electoral victories but also in its verifiable membership database, grassroots structures, elected representatives, nationwide support groups and established internal processes.
Yilwatda also stated: “Our party is the largest political party in Nigeria. In terms of structure, organisation and membership, no other political party comes close to us.
“We are approximately three times larger than the next political party in the country.”
He disclosed that the APC had approximately 13 million registered members spread across all local government areas in Nigeria, with detailed records of members and membership identity cards designed to facilitate verification through their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter identification details.
The National Chairman explained that the party’s membership database and identification system provide a strong foundation for effective grassroots engagement, mobilisation, internal coordination and electoral planning.
Yilwatda further highlighted the scale of the APC’s organisational network, noting that the party maintains elected and appointed executive structures from the ward level through local governments and states to the national level.
The APC has over 261,000 executive members across its organisational hierarchy, a network he described as a major source of its political strength and nationwide reach, stated he.
The National Chairman said the party’s structure had enabled it to maintain contact with its members and supporters at the grassroots while coordinating political activities and campaign strategies across the country.
The APC National Chairman also pointed to the party’s numerical strength in elected offices as evidence of its national acceptance and organisational reach.
He disclosed that the party has 31 governors out 36, 88 senators out of the 109-member Senate and 208 members of the House of Representatives out of 360 seats.
Yilwatda added that the party also enjoys a significant presence in state Houses of Assembly across the country.
The Chairman said this representation had provided the APC with an extensive network of political leadership and elected officials capable of connecting government policies with citizens and mobilising support at the federal, state and local government levels.
He, however, emphasised that the party’s strength is not limited to elected officeholders, as it also enjoys support from a broad range of organised groups, including youth, women and persons with disabilities.
Yilwatda also explained: “These structures are the foundation of our strength.
“We have built an organisation that reaches every part of the country and gives us the capacity to engage Nigerians across different demographics.”
The APC Chairman further highlighted the level of competition witnessed during the party’s primary elections, disclosing that more than 7,000 aspirants contested for various positions ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
He argued that the large number of aspirants reflected the confidence many politicians have in the APC platform and the competitive character of its internal electoral processes.
Despite the number of aspirants, Yilwatda said the party had recorded relatively few post-primary court cases compared with the scale of its contests, describing this as an indication of its efforts to manage internal competition and resolve disagreements.
Prof. Yilwatda as well observed that several politicians who failed to secure APC tickets subsequently obtained tickets from opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, this development underscores the APC’s attractiveness to politicians and the intensity of competition for its tickets.
The Chairman maintained that the party’s organisational advantage is reinforced by the experience of its members, noting that many of those who secured tickets have maintained long-standing relationships with the party.
Yilwatda stated that the APC had presented candidates for all available elective positions it was contesting in the 2027 general elections, describing the development as evidence of its readiness and nationwide reach.
He contrasted this with the reported difficulties some opposition parties had encountered in fielding candidates for certain positions and completing their candidate-submission processes.
Yilwatda disclosed that the APC had released its campaign council list, inaugurated the council, commenced campaign activities and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal ahead of its rivals.
The Chairman said the party expected INEC to maintain strict adherence to its published electoral timetable.
He argued that consistent application of the rules was essential to ensuring fairness among all political parties.
Yilwatda averred: “We believe INEC should stick to its timetable. The rules must apply equally to every political party.
“The electoral process must be fair, transparent and predictable, without adjusting deadlines in a manner that gives any party an undue advantage.”
He emphasised that the APC’s preparation for 2027 was based on its organisational capacity, candidate readiness and nationwide structures rather than an assumption that electoral victory was automatic.
On democratic competition and politics without bitterness
Despite its acknowledged numerical and organisational advantage, Yilwatda assured the ECOWAS Mission that the APC remained committed to democratic competition and would not use its position to suppress opposition parties.
He said all political parties should enjoy equal access to the media, campaign venues and other legitimate opportunities to present their programmes and engage the electorate.
The Chairman cited public protests against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, including the “Tinubu Must Go” demonstrations, as evidence that citizens and opposition groups could express their views without being automatically subjected to arrest or intimidation.
He maintained that a strong ruling party should be confident enough to compete within the rules of democracy while protecting the political space for opposing views.
Yilwatda said: “Being the largest political party does not mean that we want to suppress anybody.
“We want a democratic environment in which every party can organise, campaign and seek the support of Nigerians without fear.”
The Chairman restated that APC understood the realities of democratic competition, having experienced electoral defeats in the past.
He explained that the party had, on such occasions, engaged political stakeholders and pursued cooperation where common interests existed.
The Chairman as well cited the political realignments following the APC’s defeat in the Anambra and Osun governorship elections as an example of how electoral competition could be followed by political engagement and collaboration.
He noted that such engagements had contributed to broader political alliances and cooperation in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Earlier, His Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, Head of the ECOWAS pre-election fact-finding mission and former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, had explained that the mission was undertaking a political assessment aimed at contributing to the organisation of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.
Foh said the mission’s work would be guided by systematic observation, verification and the collection of reliable data rather than assumptions or arbitrary conclusions.
He stated: “Our monitoring is scientific, and our decisions on issues are based on scientific observation.
“We verify information before making any pronouncement, and we use a robust application system to collect data. Our reports are therefore not arbitrary.”
He explained that the mission was engaging relevant political stakeholders to obtain information and perspectives that would assist its assessment of Nigeria’s electoral environment ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Foh commended Prof. Yilwatda for his detailed presentation.
He also noted that the information provided had offered the mission valuable insight into the APC’s organisational structure, membership, internal processes and preparations for the forthcoming elections.
The leader of the ECOWAS Mission expressed confidence that the engagement would contribute meaningfully to the mission’s understanding of the political landscape and the conditions under which the elections would be conducted.