The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed fears about the future of the ruling party after President Bola Tinubu leaves office, insisting that the APC has the institutional strength and leadership depth to endure.
Yilwatda made the assertion on Friday while speaking on Hard Copy, a programme on Channels Television, amid ongoing debates over leadership succession within the party.
According to him, the survival of the APC is not tied to any single individual, stressing that the party existed and functioned effectively before Tinubu became president and has continued to do so under his leadership.
He recalled Tinubu’s critical role in the formation of the APC ahead of the 2015 general elections, as well as his leadership of the reconciliation committee established by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 to address internal party disputes.
Yilwatda noted that Tinubu’s reconciliation efforts helped unite warring factions within the APC and were instrumental to the party’s victory in the 2019 general elections, despite Tinubu not holding the presidency at the time.
He added that although Tinubu would eventually leave office, he would remain an influential figure within the APC, describing him as a national leader whose political experience and extensive network would continue to benefit the party.
The APC chairman also rejected claims that the party is losing support in the North ahead of the 2027 general elections. He cited the outcomes of the August 2025 by-elections as evidence of the party’s continued strength in the region.
According to Yilwatda, the APC recorded victories in several northern states, including Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kogi and Niger, losing only one House of Assembly seat.
He said the results reflect the party’s acceptance across regions, religious divides and ethnic lines, maintaining that the APC remains the most dominant political party at the grassroots level nationwide.
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