Politics

It’s My Job to Weaken Opposition, APC Chairman Declares

Published

5 months ago

May 26, 2026

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda

National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda

It’s My Job to Weaken Opposition, APC Chairman Declares

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that he would be happy to cause implosion and division within opposition political parties, admitting that weakening the opposition through political strategy is part of his job. Speaking during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday, May 25, 2026, Yilwatda made the remarks while responding to questions about the state of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a particularly striking admission, Yilwatda revealed that he actually derives entertainment from watching opposition parties exchange insults and attack one another publicly. “In the last three weeks, the APC is not fighting ADC or NDC. It is NDC versus ADC or ADC versus NDC,” Yilwatda said during the interview. “Actually, I watched with fun all the insults that the ADC is raining on the NDC and the NDC is returning those fireworks on the ADC. I watched the videos, and I laughed.”

According to Yilwatda, the APC is not actively fighting opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Instead, he argued that these parties are battling internal crises of their own making. “You see, the APC is not fighting the African Democratic Congress, ADC, or the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC. They are the ones fighting each other. The self-implosion is in the opposition rather than in the APC.”

When pressed further on whether he was orchestrating the crises rocking opposition parties, Yilwatda offered a candid response that has drawn both criticism and praise from different quarters. “No, I can’t. But I will be happy if I can do it. That’s my job,” Yilwatda stated. He framed his approach as a legitimate political response to opposition activities, arguing that any political party in power would naturally seek to counter those trying to unseat it. “If you are opposing me, should I be happy? If you oppose me because you are in the opposition, what’s my job? Of course, to stop the opposition,” he said. Yilwatda further suggested that the opposition parties are more focused on internal rivalries and conflicts than challenging the APC for the 2027 presidency. “APC is not fighting ADC or NDC. It is NDC vs ADC or ADC vs NDC. The self-implosion is in the opposition rather than in the APC,” he reiterated.

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Beyond his comments about opposition implosion, Yilwatda used the interview to showcase the APC’s internal stability and organisational strength ahead of the 2027 elections. He argued that no political party in Nigeria currently possesses a stronger internal dispute resolution system than the APC. The APC chairman revealed that the party currently has about 12.9 million verified registered members submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a figure he said reflects the party’s reach, organisation and staying power. “We have about 12.9 million registered voters that we submitted to INEC. If you put all the political parties together, they don’t add up to APC’s registered members,” he stated. According to Yilwatda, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has about 2.4 million registered members, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has 1.6 million, the Labour Party has 1.3 million, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has about 700,000.

Yilwatda further emphasised that the APC is the only political party in Nigeria operating a fully verified membership register through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). “To register as a member of the APC, your name and primary data are sourced from NIMC. That’s the same primary data that is used across the country to open a bank account, get a driver’s licence and secure an international passport,” he explained. “So we’re the only political party that sources our primary data from NIMC. This is why people have seen the APC as one of the most politically viable and stable parties. We are a data-driven political party,” he stated.

Yilwatda argued that the APC’s internal stability sets it apart from opposition parties that are “breaking into pieces.” He pointed to the peaceful conduct of the party’s recent primaries as evidence of the APC’s organisational strength. “See how organised the primaries were; almost near rancour-free, no crisis, almost zero incidences in terms of crisis in communities. It shows APC is organised,” Yilwatda stated, referring to the party’s recent presidential primaries. “There’s no party that has a better mechanism for conflict resolution more than our party,” he added. He described the APC as “one of the most prepared political parties” in the country, noting that the party’s congresses and primaries were conducted with almost zero incidences across communities nationwide. “We have one of the most prepared machinery, a political machine that’s prepared for war and can tackle any political opponent at any given time,” he said.

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Yilwatda argued that the APC’s growing electoral strength is evident in the increasing number of governors, lawmakers and political stakeholders who have aligned with the ruling party since the 2023 general elections. “Today, the South-South that was purely with PDP and Obi, all of them are now APC. Even in the North-West, where NNPP and PDP were strong, today they are near zero,” he claimed. He also noted that despite the charges facing some APC members, people were still coming in large numbers to purchase nomination forms. “We did not increase our fees; we maintained them, yet people are coming in droves. We opened up our party. People are not hiding forms—everyone is buying, including the presidential ticket. We have a sitting President, yet people are buying forms to contest against him. We allowed it,” he said.

This is not the first time Yilwatda has made dismissive remarks about opposition parties. In earlier comments reported on May 7, 2026, he taunted opposition parties for “breaking into pieces” and declared that victory for APC in the forthcoming elections would be a landslide. “We are not belittling the opposition, but check what they are doing. Just yesterday, I listened to the fight between opposition leaders—they are breaking into pieces, and I’m sure they will blame us for their internal crisis,” he had said.

Yilwatda’s admission that he would be happy to cause implosion in opposition parties signals a potentially aggressive political strategy by the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. His comments suggest that the ruling party may adopt tactics aimed at exploiting and deepening existing divisions within opposition ranks. For opposition parties already grappling with leadership crises and logistical challenges, Yilwatda’s remarks add another layer of concern about the fairness of the political playing field as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections. However, the APC chairman maintains that the party’s stability, data-driven membership system, and internal conflict resolution mechanisms position it as the undisputed frontrunner for the 2027 presidency.

It’s My Job to Weaken Opposition, APC Chairman Declares

Politics

2027: ADC Vows to Collate, Share Polling-Unit Results Despite INEC Warning

Published

9 hours ago

October 8, 2026

Trends Admin

Bolaji Abdullahi

2027: ADC Vows to Collate, Share Polling-Unit Results Despite INEC Warning

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to independently document, collate and share polling-unit results during the 2027 general elections, despite a warning from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the publication of privately collated results.

The ADC said its plan is aimed at protecting votes cast for its candidates and ensuring that results announced at the end of the electoral process reflect the figures recorded at polling units.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC recognised INEC’s statutory responsibility to collate and officially declare election results, but maintained that citizens and political parties have the right to collect and share information, including election results.

Abdullahi’s position followed a recent warning by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, against the sharing of privately collated election results.

The ADC argued that independently gathering and publishing polling-unit figures does not prevent INEC from carrying out its constitutional responsibility to conduct the election, collate official results and declare winners.

Under Nigeria’s electoral system, INEC conducts the official collation and declaration process through various levels, from the Registration Area and Local Government Area to state and, for the presidential election, the national level.

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The ADC said its independent collation would provide its candidates and supporters with their own record of results from polling units and allow them to compare those figures with results emerging through the official process.

The party has previously said its decision was influenced by the 2023 general elections, when concerns arose over the electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

Abdullahi had said the party would no longer rely solely on INEC to protect its votes, arguing that political parties must put their own mechanisms in place to monitor results from polling units through the collation process.

The ADC has also raised concerns about the appointment of Returning and Collation Officers for the 2027 elections.

In September, the party called on INEC to review the use of academics who had openly expressed support for political candidates in sensitive electoral positions.

It argued that people who had publicly taken partisan positions should not subsequently be assigned responsibilities involving the collation of results or declaration of winners in elections contested by their preferred candidates.

The party urged INEC to publish the names of proposed Returning and Collation Officers ahead of the elections to allow political parties and members of the public to raise concerns about possible conflicts of interest.

The latest dispute has placed renewed focus on the distinction between independent election monitoring by political parties and the official collation and declaration of results, which remains the responsibility of INEC.

The ADC maintains that its planned collection and publication of polling-unit figures is intended to promote transparency and protect its votes, rather than replace INEC’s official declaration.

As preparations for the 2027 elections intensify, the disagreement highlights the growing debate over how political parties, election observers and citizens should independently monitor results while preserving INEC’s legal authority over the official electoral process.

2027: ADC Vows to Collate, Share Polling-Unit Results Despite INEC Warning

Politics

Killings, Hardship: Northern Islamic Clerics Tell Tinubu to Drop 2027 Ambition

Published

18 hours ago

October 8, 2026

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Killings, Hardship: Northern Islamic Clerics Tell Tinubu to Drop 2027 Ambition

More than 1,000 northern Islamic clerics have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to abandon his ambition to seek re-election in 2027, citing persistent killings, kidnappings, terrorism and economic hardship across the country.

The clerics made the demand in a communiqué issued after a national conference in Kano titled “An Assessment of the State of the Nation under President Tinubu and the 2027 General Elections.”

The conference was organised under the Ko Da Naka platform in collaboration with the AFAQ Educational Foundation.

The clerics expressed particular concern over worsening insecurity in the North-West, where communities have continued to face attacks, kidnappings and other forms of violence.

They urged the Federal Government to take stronger and more effective measures to protect lives and property, warning that the security situation should be a major consideration in determining who Nigerians support in the 2027 elections.

The clerics also asked Tinubu to reconsider his plan to seek another term in office.

They said that if the President decides to contest despite what they described as the country’s worsening security and economic challenges, Nigerians should reject his candidacy at the polls.

The group said political leaders must be judged by their performance in office rather than party affiliation, ethnic identity or regional interests.

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The clerics also criticised key economic policies of the Tinubu administration, including the removal of the fuel subsidy, changes to the foreign exchange regime, increases in electricity tariffs and ongoing tax reforms.

They argued that the policies had contributed to rising living costs and increased pressure on households, businesses and vulnerable Nigerians.

According to the clerics, the government should review policies that have increased the cost of living and focus more on improving citizens’ welfare.

They also raised concerns about the continued migration of skilled Nigerian professionals, including doctors, teachers and engineers, to other countries.

The clerics attributed the trend partly to poor working conditions, inadequate facilities, unemployment and economic pressures, urging the government to create better opportunities for professionals to remain in Nigeria.

They further called on Islamic scholars and religious leaders to remain independent and speak against wrongdoing regardless of the political party, ethnicity or religion of those involved.

The clerics urged Nigerians to place national interest above religious, ethnic and political considerations when choosing leaders in 2027.

They said voters should assess political candidates based on their competence, integrity, experience and policies rather than relying solely on party loyalty.

The intervention comes as political parties and presidential aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with insecurity, economic hardship and governance expected to feature prominently in the political debate.

The clerics’ position adds another voice to the growing scrutiny of the Tinubu administration as political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.

Killings, Hardship: Northern Islamic Clerics Tell Tinubu to Drop 2027 Ambition

Politics

2027: Donald Duke Pledges To Bring Petrol Price Down To N300 Per Litre

Published

1 day ago

October 7, 2026

Trends Admin

Donald Duke

2027: Donald Duke Pledges To Bring Petrol Price Down To N300 Per Litre

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has pledged to work towards reducing the price of petrol to about N300 per litre if elected president in the 2027 presidential election.

Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, made the pledge during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he outlined his proposed approach to the petroleum sector and Nigeria’s wider economy.

The PRP candidate said petroleum products for domestic consumption should be priced based on the cost of production rather than being fully exposed to international market prices.

He proposed allocating about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day for domestic consumption, while selling the remaining crude on the international market.

Asked what petrol could cost under his proposed administration, Duke said: “I will try and bring it to about N300.”

He acknowledged that the target could appear ambitious but maintained that his proposed crude allocation and domestic pricing model could make it achievable.

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Duke argued that fuel prices have a direct impact on transportation, businesses and household expenses, making affordable energy important to economic activity.

“Fuel drives your economy. It should be available. It should be affordable,” he said.

The former Cross River governor also indicated that he would pursue a different economic approach from the policies of President Bola Tinubu if elected.

His proposal comes amid continuing debate over petrol prices, fuel subsidy removal, domestic refining and crude oil allocation in Nigeria.

The N300 target is part of Duke’s proposed 2027 economic agenda and would depend on the implementation of the policies he has outlined if he wins the presidential election.