APC bigger than all opposition parties put together, Yilwatda declares

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that the ruling party is bigger than all opposition parties in Nigeria put together.

Yilwatda said the APC currently has about 12.9 million registered members in its records submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, the APC chairman said no other political party in Nigeria comes close to the ruling party in membership strength, structure and national spread.

According to him, if the membership of all other political parties is combined, the figure would still not match that of the APC.

“We have about 12.9 million registered members that we submitted to INEC. If you put all the political parties together, they don’t add up to APC’s registered members,” he said.

Yilwatda said the APC remained the most stable and best organised political party in the country, adding that its internal structure had continued to distinguish it from other parties since its formation in 2013.

“We have a stable party. In terms of governance and governing structure of a political party, we have the best governing structure in Nigeria right now as a political party,” he said.

The APC chairman also dismissed allegations of irregularities during the party’s presidential primary, saying some of the videos being circulated online were old, unverified and unreliable.

He insisted that official records, not viral clips, should be used to judge the credibility of the party’s internal processes.

“Anyone could say it seems, because some of these videos are old videos, unverified sources. People can mimic counting at any point. People can do their drama. But I work with data,” Yilwatda said.

He also rejected claims that the APC is built around one individual, saying President Bola Tinubu had always been a major rallying point in the party even before becoming its presidential candidate.

Yilwatda said Tinubu played a major role in mobilising support for the APC from its early days, especially during the merger that produced the ruling party in 2013.

“In 2013, when we formed APC, President Tinubu was not contesting. But he was a rallying point of the APC. He galvanized his support, galvanized his network, and ensured that he became the rallying point of APC,” he said.

On complaints arising from recent party primaries, Yilwatda said the APC had ordered reruns in some areas where genuine concerns were raised.

He said petitions submitted by aggrieved members were being reviewed, assuring that the party would follow the law in resolving disputes.

“All areas where there are concerns, we’ve mandated for a rerun in some places. In areas of concern, we’ve asked them to put in petitions. We’re reviewing them. We ensure that we follow the law,” he said.

The APC chairman also said governors were free to support aspirants during primaries, as such endorsements were not prohibited by the party’s constitution or the Electoral Act.

He, however, noted that endorsement by a governor does not always guarantee victory.

“It can happen. But most times, sometimes it may be an advantage, sometimes it’s also a disadvantage. In some states, governors anointed some people, and they lost,” he said.

Yilwatda said his leadership would continue to push for transparency, automation and data-driven decision-making within the APC.

He added that he wanted to be remembered as a chairman who strengthened internal democracy and made the party’s processes more transparent.