The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, says the party’s internal surveys indicate that President Bola Tinubu is positioned to win the 2027 presidential election.
Yilwatda made the disclosure during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he said the ruling party had conducted surveys across states and obtained figures suggesting that Tinubu was ahead of his potential challengers.
“We have done fact-finding; we are leading. We have done our polls. We have our own polls that give us the real statistics across the states,” he said.
When asked whether the findings indicated that Tinubu would win the 2027 presidential election, the APC chairman responded affirmatively, saying, “Of course!”
Yilwatda maintained that the APC was not intimidated by opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), associated with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), associated with Peter Obi.
He argued that the opposition parties’ inability to secure electoral victories ahead of the 2027 polls gave the ruling party an advantage.
Comparing Tinubu with Atiku, Yilwatda described the incumbent president as “far better” than the former vice-president.
Defending the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, the APC chairman said the government’s tax reforms had expanded the tax base and increased revenue generation while providing benefits for the poorest Nigerians.
He also highlighted developments in the power sector, stating that state governments had been empowered to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
On the rising cost of petrol and its impact on Nigerians, Yilwatda acknowledged the economic hardship but insisted that the situation was temporary.
“What we are passing through in Nigeria, for example, at this moment, is temporary. The increase in the cost of fuel is temporary. Nigerians believe in us,” he said.
Addressing allegations that the APC shields its members from prosecution, Yilwatda maintained that party members facing legal proceedings were not exempt from the law.
He said the party was reviewing its presidential campaign council list and would inaugurate the council soon.
Yilwatda also expressed support for individuals and groups willing to back Tinubu’s re-election bid, including the Rainbow Coalition associated with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
He said he had no objection to such support, regardless of the political affiliations of those involved.
The APC chairman further dismissed the “Tinubu Must Go” campaign, describing it as an opposition-driven initiative that, in his view, did not reflect the sentiments of Nigerians toward the president.
The 2027 presidential election is expected to feature competition between the ruling APC and opposition parties seeking to unseat Tinubu, with economic conditions, security and public confidence in the government likely to remain key campaign issues.
