APC POLLS SHOW TINUBU WILL WIN 2027 ELECTION — YILWATDA

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that the party’s internal polls show President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election, dismissing opposition threats and describing the incumbent as “far better” than his challengers.

The APC polls Tinubu 2027 election claim was made during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where the ruling party’s chief executive projected confidence despite mounting economic pressures and a consolidating opposition field .

“WE HAVE DONE OUR POLLS”

Yilwatda was direct when asked about the party’s electoral prospects. “We have done fact-finding; we are leading. We have done our polls. We have our own polls that give us the real statistics across the states,” he said.

Pressed on whether the polls indicated that Tinubu would win the 2027 election, the APC chairman responded with two words: “Of course!” .

However, Yilwatda did not provide detailed figures from the surveys, the methodology used, or independently verifiable evidence to support the party’s projection. The absence of transparency around the polling data is notable, as internal party polls are rarely subjected to external verification .

THE OPPOSITION: DISMISSED BUT NOT IGNORED

Yilwatda dismissed concerns about the African Democratic Congress (ADC), whose presidential candidate is former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), associated with Peter Obi .

He argued that the opposition parties’ inability to win elections ahead of 2027 gave the APC an advantage, pointing to their performance in previous contests as evidence that they do not pose a serious threat to the ruling party’s chances of retaining power.

Comparing Tinubu with Atiku, Yilwatda described the incumbent president as “far better” than the former vice-president, citing Tinubu’s record in Lagos State and the infrastructure projects undertaken during his tenure.

THE ECONOMIC DEFENCE

Yilwatda also addressed the economic hardship facing Nigerians, acknowledging the difficulties but insisting they were temporary.

“What we are passing through in Nigeria, for example, at this moment, is temporary. The increase in the cost of fuel is temporary. Nigerians believe in us,” he said .

He defended the administration’s tax reforms, arguing they had expanded the tax net and increased government revenue while benefiting poorer Nigerians. He also cited changes in the power sector, saying state governments had been empowered to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

The APC chairman rejected allegations that the ruling party shields its members from prosecution, insisting that some party members were facing court proceedings and that no one was above the law .

THE RAINBOW COALITION AND INTERNAL TENSIONS

Yilwatda also addressed the controversy surrounding the Rainbow Coalition, a political group associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, which is mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election.

The APC chairman said he was not opposed to anyone supporting Tinubu, even if they belonged to a different political party. However, he aligned himself with the position of APC governors, who have insisted they will only support the party’s candidates from top to bottom .

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“As a party, we will not choose for other parties. So, for example, I can’t enforce on Wike what he should support. He has a right to express what he wants to do. He says he will support us,” Yilwatda said . He added: “I am not opposed to anybody who wants to support President Bola Tinubu. The governors’ position is that they are promoting their own party in their states, they will support only APC”.

Yilwatda also disclosed that the party was reviewing its presidential campaign council list and would inaugurate it soon .

WHO IS YILWATDA?

Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda is the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, a position he assumed on July 24, 2025, following the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje.

Born on August 8, 1968, in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, Yilwatda is an engineer and academic by training. He holds a doctorate in Electronic and Computer Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and served as the ICT Director at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for over 12 years.

He was appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State in 2017, serving until 2021, before resigning to contest the Plateau State governorship election on the APC platform in 2023.

He lost to Caleb Mutfwang of the PDP.

In October 2024, President Tinubu appointed him Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, a role he held until his emergence as APC National Chairman .

WHY IT MATTERS

The claim by Yilwatda is less about prediction and more about positioning. By projecting confidence, the APC hopes to discourage opposition momentum, attract undecided politicians and reassure its own base as the 2027 campaign gathers pace.

Whether the party’s internal polling reflects reality or wishful thinking will only be known when Nigerians vote.

For now, the ruling party is projecting strength, even as the economic pressures that will define the election continue to mount. ValidViewNetwork reports that the APC has not released the polling data on which Yilwatda’s claim is based.