The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a serious contender ahead of the 2027 polls, declaring the opposition party is “not a threat.”
Yilwatda made the assertion during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, where he downplayed the influence of key figures within opposition coalitions.
“ADC is not a match at all,” Yilwatda stated. “For every one person they have, we have five, six of them.” He specifically contrasted the ADC’s leadership, citing its Chairman, former Senate President David Mark, with the APC’s own roster of influential figures, including former Senate Presidents Ahmad Lawan and others from the South East.
The APC Chairman rejected suggestions that his party was feeling pressure from the opposition or engaging in forceful recruitment. “We have never asked anybody, we have never appealed to any civil servant… Nobody has forced any civil servant,” he said, challenging critics to provide evidence to the contrary.
Yilwatda also expressed indifference toward other high-profile politicians aligned with the ADC, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, former Anambra governor Peter Obi, and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Shifting to Governance Record
Beyond political rivalry, Yilwatda pivoted to highlight the APC-led government’s social intervention programs as a key strength.
He pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a pivotal initiative, describing it as a “social protection system” that offsets tuition and provides a monthly stipend of ₦20,000 to over a million students nationwide.
“These are households, these are parents,” he said, framing the program as broad-based support for Nigerian families. He also cited health insurance schemes benefitting millions.
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