The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the ruling party’s approximately 13 million registered members, 31 governors and more than 261,000 executive members give it a strong organisational base ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda said the APC’s strength extends beyond the number of elections it has won, pointing to its membership database, grassroots structures, elected representatives, support groups and internal organisation across the country.
He spoke while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States, led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh, at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
“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,” Yilwatda said.
According to him, the APC has approximately 13 million registered members spread across all local government areas, with membership records and identification cards designed to enable verification through National Identification Numbers and voter identification details.
He said the membership database would aid grassroots engagement, mobilisation, internal coordination and electoral planning as the party prepares for the January 2027 polls.
Yilwatda also said the APC has more than 261,000 executive members operating from ward and local government levels through state structures to the national leadership.
He listed the party’s representation in elected offices as 31 of Nigeria’s 36 governors, 88 of the 109 senators and 208 of the 360 members of the House of Representatives, in addition to what he described as a substantial presence in state Houses of Assembly.
The APC chairman said the nationwide network gives the party the capacity to maintain contact with supporters at the grassroots and coordinate its political activities across the country.
He added that the party’s support base included organised groups representing youths, women and persons with disabilities.
Yilwatda disclosed that the APC had inaugurated its campaign council, commenced campaign activities and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal.
He, however, urged INEC to adhere strictly to its published timetable and ensure that the same electoral rules and deadlines apply to all political parties.
“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 said.
INEC’s official timetable schedules the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state House of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.
Yilwatda maintained that the APC’s preparations were based on its organisational structure and readiness rather than an assumption that electoral victory was automatic.
Foh, who led the ECOWAS delegation, said the mission was assessing Nigeria’s political and electoral environment ahead of the general elections and would base its conclusions on observation, verified information and credible data.
He said the mission was engaging political stakeholders to gather information and perspectives that would inform its assessment of preparations for the elections.
In a related development, Yilwatda has described infrastructure projects being undertaken by President Bola Tinubu’s administration as an important campaign asset for the APC ahead of the election.
Speaking while inspecting sections of the Trans-Sahara Superhighway covering the Akwanga, Jos and Gombe corridors, the APC chairman said completed and ongoing projects would allow Nigerians to assess the administration on the basis of infrastructure delivered on the ground.
He argued that the Akwanga-Jos corridor had received inadequate attention for decades before the current reconstruction work and said the Federal Government was committing substantial resources to developing more durable infrastructure.
“For over five decades, since the days of the late Joseph Gomwalk around 1972, this corridor witnessed only piecemeal patching,” Yilwatda said.
He added that the use of rigid concrete pavement was intended to produce a more durable road capable of serving communities and improving movement across the North-Central and North-East.
Yilwatda said the APC would present such infrastructure projects, alongside its membership strength and nationwide political structures, as part of its case to voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Post Title: “APC’s 2027 Strength Goes Beyond Electoral Victories” — Yilwatda Cites 13m Members, 31 Governors, 88 Senators By Naijaonpoint.