The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said its nationwide organisational structure extensive presence and approximately 13 million verified members give it an advantage over opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda stated this on Sunday while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Former Sierra Leonean Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh led the delegation.
Yilwatda said years of deliberate political organisation had positioned the APC to mobilise voters effectively across the country.
He maintained that the party’s membership strength and established structures gave it a solid foundation ahead of the 2027 elections.
A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Abimbola Tooki Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy to the APC National Chairman quoted Yilwatda as making the remarks during the meeting.
‘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 declared during the meeting.
The party chief revealed that the APC’s 13 million registered members across all local government areas are backed by a verifiable database and membership identity cards linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter registration details.
He added that the ruling party boasts over 261000 elected executive officers spanning ward local government state and national structures.
Highlighting the party’s elected representation as proof of national acceptance Yilwatda pointed out that the APC holds 31 out of the 36 state governorship seats 88 seats out of 109 in the Senate and 208 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives in addition to dominating state Houses of Assembly.
The National Chairman noted that the APC’s platform remains the primary vehicle for political aspirants nationwide citing the over 7000 aspirants who contested in its internal primary processes.
He noted that while several unsuccessful aspirants eventually picked tickets in opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) the APC recorded very few post-primary court cases.
Emphasising candidate readiness Yilwatda revealed that the APC has fielded candidates for all available elective positions inaugurated its campaign council and completed its candidate upload on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
He urged the electoral body to stick strictly to its published election timetable to ensure a fair transparent and predictable contest for all participants.
‘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.
Despite the ruling party’s overwhelming structural advantage Yilwatda assured the visiting ECOWAS delegation that the APC remains committed to democratic principles and will not use its strength to intimidate or suppress opposing voices.
He cited past anti-government demonstrations such as the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ protests as proof that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration fully protects democratic space.
‘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’ Yilwatda stated.
In his remarks the head of the ECOWAS mission Victor Bockarie Foh commended Professor Yilwatda for the detailed presentation clarifying that the delegation’s assessment would rely strictly on scientific data collection observation and verification.
‘Our monitoring is scientific and our decisions on issues are based on scientific observation. We verify information before making any pronouncement and we use a robust data-collection system. Our reports are therefore not arbitrary’ Foh stated
He explained that the mission engaged relevant political stakeholders to gather information and perspectives to support its assessment of Nigeria’s electoral environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the engagement would meaningfully contribute to the mission’s understanding of the political landscape and the conditions for conducting next year’s elections noting that the session provided valuable insight into Nigeria’s political readiness ahead of the polls.