⬆️Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that its extensive organisational network, nationwide presence and membership base of about 13 million people place it well ahead of other parties as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
National Chairman Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda made the assertion when he received a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja. The mission was led by former Sierra Leonean Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said the APC’s strength goes beyond past electoral victories. It rests on a verifiable membership database, functional grassroots structures, elected officials at every level, organised support groups and established internal processes.
“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,” he stated.
He disclosed that the APC has roughly 13 million registered members spread across all local government areas, each with detailed records and membership identity cards linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter details. This system, he said, supports effective grassroots mobilisation, internal coordination and electoral planning.
The party maintains elected and appointed executives from ward to national level, totalling more than 261,000 officers — a network Yilwatda described as a major source of its political reach.
On elected offices, he noted that the APC currently controls 31 of 36 governorships, 88 of 109 Senate seats and 208 of 360 seats in the House of Representatives, in addition to a strong presence in state Houses of Assembly. These office-holders, he added, help connect government policies with citizens and mobilise support at every tier of government.
The party also draws organised support from youth, women and persons with disabilities. “These structures are the foundation of our strength. We have built an organisation that reaches every part of the country and gives us the capacity to engage Nigerians across different demographics,” Yilwatda said.
He pointed to the high level of competition in the party’s primaries, where more than 7,000 aspirants contested various positions ahead of 2027. Despite the large field, the number of post-primary court cases remained relatively low, which he presented as evidence of improved internal conflict management. Some unsuccessful aspirants later obtained tickets from opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) — a development he said further illustrated the attractiveness of the APC platform.
Yilwatda stated that the party has fielded candidates for every elective position it is contesting, released and inaugurated its campaign council, begun campaign activities and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal ahead of most rivals. He contrasted this readiness with difficulties some opposition parties have reportedly faced in completing their candidate submission processes.
He urged INEC to adhere strictly to its published timetable, insisting that the rules must apply equally to all parties so the process remains fair, transparent and predictable.
Despite the APC’s numerical and organisational advantage, Yilwatda assured the ECOWAS team that the party would not use its position to suppress opponents. All parties, he said, should enjoy equal access to the media, campaign venues and other legitimate platforms.
He cited public protests against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, including the “Tinubu Must Go” demonstrations, as proof that citizens and opposition groups can express dissent without automatic arrest or intimidation.
“Being the largest political party does not mean that we want to suppress anybody. We want a democratic environment in which every party can organise, campaign and seek the support of Nigerians without fear,” he declared.
Yilwatda noted that the APC itself has experienced electoral defeats in the past and has subsequently engaged in political cooperation where mutual interests existed, citing realignments after losses in Anambra and Osun as examples that later contributed to broader support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Earlier, mission leader Victor Bockarie Foh explained that the ECOWAS team is conducting a systematic political assessment to help ensure free, fair and transparent elections in 2027. He said the mission relies on verified data rather than assumptions and uses robust tools to collect information.
Foh thanked Yilwatda for the detailed briefing, saying it had given the mission valuable insight into the APC’s structure, membership, internal processes and preparations for the polls.