Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed suggestions that the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South poses any threat to the ruling party.
Nentawe stated this while speaking with journalists on Saturday, and maintained that the APC remains the most dominant and prepared political party in the country, insisting that the real battle is among opposition parties themselves rather than against the APC.
Recall that the NDC had earlier announced the zoning of its presidential ticket to the South ahead of the 2027 general elections, a move seen in some quarters as an attempt to strengthen opposition unity.
In his reaction to this development, the APC chairman said there was no reason for his party to feel threatened.
“Why should we be afraid?” he asked. “If you look at it now, the fight is not between APC and ADC or within our political party, but ADC versus NDC.”
Nentawe insisted that recent political developments have vindicated the APC against claims that it was responsible for weakening opposition parties.
“Everybody has now seen clearly that it is the opposition fighting themselves,” he said.
Nentawe also downplayed the significance of recent defections to the NDC, describing the number of lawmakers who moved to the party as insignificant when compared to the APC’s nationwide political structure.
“What number are you talking about? Seventeen legislators? We have over 400 legislators. Compared to 17, it is just a meagre number,” he stated.
He further noted that the APC still controls 31 state governors and more than 600 local government chairmen across the country.
“APC is the most prepared and outstanding political party that can face anybody. I have not seen a party that can give us a headache,” he added.
On the absence of some governors, including the Rivers State governor, from an ongoing party screening exercise, Nentawe cautioned against singling out any individual.
“Why Rivers alone when three governors have not appeared?” he queried, adding that the governors of Kwara and Ebonyi states were also absent.
He explained that governors, as chief executives of their states, may have pressing official engagements preventing them from attending the screening at the scheduled time.
“Any governor who has issues to attend to, Kwara, Ebonyi, and Rivers State, we excuse him. Anytime they are free, they can call the screening committee, and they will be screened at their convenience,” he said.
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