The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said the party’s estimated 13 million registered members, nationwide organisational structure and growing political influence give it a significant advantage over other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda made the assertion while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
The APC chairman, who received the delegation alongside members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), said the party had built a formidable political organisation with structures across all local government areas in the country.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said the APC’s strength was reflected in its membership database, grassroots structures, elected representatives, support groups and established internal processes.
He described the APC as Nigeria’s largest political party, claiming that its membership was approximately three times that of the next largest party.
“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 said.
Yilwatda disclosed that the party had about 13 million registered members nationwide, with a membership database containing details that could be verified through members’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter identification information.
He said the party also had more than 261,000 executive members across its organisational hierarchy, from ward and local government levels to state and national structures.
According to him, the extensive network provides the APC with the capacity to mobilise supporters, coordinate political activities and sustain engagement with Nigerians at the grassroots.
The chairman further highlighted the party’s representation in elective offices, disclosing that the APC controlled 31 of Nigeria’s 36 states, with 88 senators in the 109-member Senate and 208 members in the 360-seat House of Representatives.
He added that the party also had a significant presence in state Houses of Assembly, as well as organised support groups representing women, youths and persons with disabilities.
On preparations for the 2027 elections, Yilwatda said more than 7,000 aspirants had contested for various positions on the APC platform, describing the development as evidence of the party’s attractiveness and the confidence politicians had in its electoral prospects.
He noted that despite the large number of aspirants, the party had recorded relatively few post-primary election court cases, attributing this to its efforts to manage internal competition and resolve disagreements.
The APC chairman also observed that some politicians who failed to secure the party’s tickets subsequently moved to opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
He maintained that the development reflected the intense competition for APC tickets and the party’s appeal among political actors.
Yilwatda further disclosed that the party had presented candidates for all elective positions it intended to contest in the 2027 general elections.
He said the APC had also released and inaugurated its campaign council, commenced campaign activities and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal ahead of other parties.
He urged INEC to adhere strictly to its published electoral timetable, stressing that all political parties must be subjected to the same rules to guarantee a fair and transparent electoral process.
“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 expressing confidence in the APC’s organisational advantage, Yilwatda assured the ECOWAS delegation that the ruling party remained committed to democratic competition and would not use its numerical strength to intimidate or suppress opposition parties.
He said opposition parties should enjoy equal opportunities to access the media, use campaign venues and communicate their programmes to Nigerians.
Citing public demonstrations against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the Tinubu Must Go protests, he argued that citizens and opposition groups remained free to express dissenting views.
“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 stated.
He added that the APC understood the realities of democratic competition, having experienced electoral defeats in previous elections.
Yilwatda cited the party’s defeats in the Anambra and Osun governorship elections as examples of how electoral contests could be followed by political engagement and realignments.
According to him, subsequent engagements with political stakeholders had contributed to broader alliances and cooperation in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Earlier, Foh said the ECOWAS mission was in Nigeria to assess the political environment ahead of the 2027 general elections and contribute to efforts to ensure free, fair and transparent polls.
He explained that the mission would rely on systematic observation, verification and credible data collection in assessing the electoral landscape rather than assumptions or arbitrary conclusions.
“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 application system to collect data. Our reports are therefore not arbitrary,” Foh said.
He said the delegation was engaging political parties and other relevant stakeholders to obtain information that would assist its assessment of Nigeria’s preparedness for the elections.
Foh commended Yilwatda for providing detailed information on the APC’s membership strength, organisational structure, internal processes and preparations for the forthcoming elections.
He expressed confidence that the engagement would provide useful insights into the country’s political environment and contribute to the mission’s understanding of the conditions surrounding the 2027 electoral process.
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