Politics

APC brags with membership figure

Published

5 months ago

May 27, 2026

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, has revealed that the party now has 12.9 million verified registered members, a figure he said surpasses the combined membership strength of major opposition parties in Nigeria.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Yilwatda defended the credibility of the APC’s controversial primary elections and insisted that the ruling party remains the most organised political platform in the country.

According to him, the APC submitted 12.9 million registered members to the Independent National Electoral Commission, compared to 2.4 million by the Peoples Democratic Party, 1.6 million by the African Democratic Congress, 1.3 million by the Labour Party, and 700,000 by the NDC.

“We have about 12.9 million registered voters that were submitted to INEC,” Yilwatda said.

“If you put all these political parties together, they don’t add up to APC’s registered members.”

The APC chairman further claimed that the ruling party is the only political organisation in Nigeria whose membership database is fully verified through the National Identity Management Commission.

“All our data of our members are verified by NIMC. We synchronise the data with NIMC,” he said.

“So for you to be a member of APC, just like how you register in banks, you register for your international passport, for driver’s licence, the same thing is how you register with APC.”

Yilwatda also defended the outcome of the APC presidential primary election, which produced President Bola Tinubu with nearly 10.9 million votes despite criticism surrounding the process and viral videos alleging irregularities in vote counting.

“Yes, this is what we have,” he said while defending the figures.

“We had about 12.9 million and about 10.9 million voted, which means about 2 million people did not vote across the country for our members. A reasonable number. So we had a very reasonable turnout.”

Responding to allegations that some videos suggested inflated vote counts, Yilwatda dismissed the clips as misleading and lacking credibility.

“Some of these videos are old videos, unverified sources,” he said.

“The total vote cast in the whole entire state is just about 20,000. So how do you get over 20-something thousand from one ward? People can mimic counting at any point. People can do their drama. But I work with data.”

The APC chairman also denied allegations that the ruling party was interfering in the internal crises affecting opposition parties.

“You’ve been hearing the fight between ADC and NDC, the self-implosion that happened there. People said the self-implosion would be in APC, but the self-implosion was in the opposition,” he said.

Asked directly whether the APC was meddling in opposition affairs, he replied: “We don’t.”

Yilwatda maintained that the APC remained stable despite protests and disputes arising from its primary elections in several states.

“We have a stable party, very stable, very calm,” he said.

“We have one of the best governing structures in Nigeria right now as a political party.”

Addressing criticisms of candidate imposition and lack of internal democracy, the APC chairman argued that the party largely conducted direct primaries across the country.

According to him, out of the 36 states, only three governorship candidates emerged through consensus arrangements, while the others participated in direct primaries.

He explained that the party delayed final declarations of winners pending reports from appeal committees reviewing petitions from aggrieved aspirants.

“You declare the election at the constituency level, but not declare the winner,” he said.

“A winner comes after we receive the report of the appeal committee. If there’s need for a rerun or substitution based on the report, then we make a final declaration at the national level.”

Yilwatda acknowledged that governors openly supported preferred aspirants in some states but argued that political endorsements were lawful and did not guarantee victory.

“In some states, governors have anointed some people and yet they lost,” he said.

“A governor is like any other individual. Anybody can endorse you.”

The APC chairman also credited President Tinubu with playing a central role in the formation and survival of the party since 2013.

“In 2013, when we formed APC, President Tinubu was not contesting, but he was a rallying point of the APC,” he said.

“He galvanised the party into victory and didn’t ask for any position in government.”

Yilwatda added that Tinubu later helped reconcile factions within the party ahead of the 2019 elections after being appointed to lead a reconciliation committee by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.

On his expected legacy as APC national chairman, Yilwatda said he hoped to be remembered for improving transparency, automating party processes, and promoting data-driven decision-making within the party.

“We want to be remembered as a chairman that led the party through improving transparency within the party,” he said.

“The automation we’ve done and the register we have, we’ve proven that we can have data-driven decision-making within the party.”

Related Topics:APC Featured INEC Nentawe Yilwatda

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Politics

Why Amaechi will fail in Ikwerre — APC leader

Published

1 month ago

September 15, 2026

News Diggers

By Philippine Duru

philippineobetoduru@gmail.com

08034905774

A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Princewill Dike, has declared that Ikwerre Local Government Area will be a difficult political terrain for former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress (ADC) Vice-Presidential Candidate, Chibuike Amaechi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dike, a lawyer and human rights activist, said Amaechi should not expect an easy political battle in Ikwerre or other parts of Rivers State, arguing that the state’s political dynamics had changed significantly.

He made the assertion on Saturday in a commentary posted on his Facebook page, Princewill Dike Platform.

According to him, Amaechi was fully aware of the political realities in Ikwerre and Rivers State and should therefore not anticipate an easy victory in the 2027 elections.

“Amaechi is fully aware of the political realities in Ikwerre and Rivers State, and should not expect an easy victory in the state during the next general elections,” Dike said.

The APC chieftain argued that Amaechi’s past political influence and access to federal structures did not translate into electoral victory in Rivers, questioning what would be different in 2027.

He said the emergence of former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had significantly altered the political calculations in the state, particularly regarding federal influence and grassroots political structures.

“Whether Amaechi, who could not secure victory despite enjoying considerable federal backing in the past, will now be able to defeat the political structure associated with Wike remains doubtful,” he said.

Dike described Ikwerre as a particularly challenging battleground for Amaechi, stressing that the political realities on the ground should not be underestimated by anyone preparing for the 2027 elections.

He also predicted the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 and expressed confidence in the electoral prospects of the Rivers political coalition linked to the FCT Minister.

“Amaechi, who couldn’t win with his federal might, battalion of soldiers and INEC in his beck and call, is it now that the political wonder boy of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, is in charge of the federal might and everything incidental thereto, that he (Amaechi) will win? Abeg, tell me something else jari?” Dike asked.

Quoting from the Scriptures, the APC leader added: “What seest thou? I see P-BAT re-elected, OK Chinda and all the Rivers coalition candidates elected.”

Dike, who is also a philanthropist, maintained that the political tide was already taking shape in Rivers State, saying the strength of emerging alliances and grassroots structures would play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the 2027 elections.

Politics

2027: APC Chieftain Alubarika predicts Tinubu lead in four zones

Published

2 months ago

September 2, 2026

News Diggers

By Philippine Duru

philippineobetoduru@gmail.com

08034905774

A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alubarika, has projected that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lead the 2027 presidential election in four of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi are expected to dominate the North-East and South-East respectively.

Alubarika made the projection in a post on his verified X handle, formerly Twitter, where he assessed the likely performance of the major contenders based on what he described as his political experience, grassroots engagement and understanding of Nigeria’s electoral dynamics.

According to his projection, Tinubu would secure 50 per cent of the vote in the North Central, compared with 25 per cent for Atiku, 20 per cent for Obi and five per cent for other candidates.

The North Central zone comprises Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.

In the North-East, however, Alubarika predicted an advantage for Atiku, giving the former vice president 50 per cent, against 40 per cent for Tinubu. Obi and other candidates were each projected to secure five per cent.

The North-East comprises Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

In the North-West, Alubarika again placed Tinubu ahead with 50 per cent, followed by Atiku with 30 per cent, Obi with 15 per cent and other candidates with five per cent.

For the South-East, the APC chieftain predicted a strong showing for Obi, projecting him to win 50 per cent of the vote. Tinubu was placed at 35 per cent, Atiku at 10 per cent and other candidates at five per cent.

Obi, who is the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is expected to draw significant support from the region.

Alubarika also projected a 50 per cent share for Tinubu in the South-South, compared with 25 per cent for Obi, 20 per cent for Atiku and five per cent for other candidates.

The South-West recorded Tinubu’s highest projected performance, with Alubarika putting the incumbent president at 69 per cent. Obi was projected at 15 per cent, Atiku at 10 per cent and other candidates at six per cent.

Explaining his assessment, Alubarika said he believed the projection was about 75 per cent accurate, while acknowledging that political dynamics could change considerably before the election.

“Politics is never an exact science, and a lot can change before 2027,” he said.

He urged Nigerians and political observers to keep his prediction and compare it with the actual results after the election.

“When the votes are counted and the dust settles, come back and give me my flowers,” he wrote.

The projection is not based on an opinion poll or official electoral data but represents Alubarika’s personal assessment of the likely voting pattern ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

With the election still ahead, political alliances, party structures, candidate nominations, regional dynamics, economic conditions and other emerging issues could alter the current political calculations.

Politics

Timipre Sylva resigns from APC, accuses party of ‘floundering’

Published

2 months ago

August 31, 2026

News Diggers

By Philippine Duru

philippineobetoduru@gmail.com

08034905774

Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that he can no longer identify with the party.

Sylva announced his decision in a letter dated August 31, 2026, in which he expressed concerns over the direction of the party and the conduct of its leadership.

The former governor accused the APC leadership of promoting the notion that “all is fair in politics,” arguing that the principle had contributed to practices he said were inconsistent with the values he expected from the party.

He also criticised the performance of the Federal Government, expressing dissatisfaction with what he described as shortcomings under the APC-led administration.

Describing the APC as a “floundering ship,” Sylva said his continued association with the party was no longer tenable.

The former petroleum minister also copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the letter, alleging that the anti-graft agency was increasingly being used as an instrument of the APC.

Sylva’s resignation comes amid heightened political activity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with defections and realignments increasingly shaping the country’s political landscape.

His departure could have political implications in Bayelsa and the wider South-South region, where he remains a prominent figure in the APC and Nigerian politics.

The development is expected to trigger further reactions within the party as political actors continue to reposition themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.