National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed concerns about the party’s future after President Bola Tinubu leaves office, saying the ruling party has the structure and leadership capacity to endure.
Yilwatda made the remarks while appearing on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme on Friday, amid debates over leadership succession within the APC.
According to him, the survival of the party does not depend on any single individual, noting that the APC existed and remained functional before Tinubu became president and has continued to do so under his leadership.
He recalled Tinubu’s role in the formation of the APC ahead of the 2015 general elections and his leadership of the reconciliation committee set up by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 to resolve internal disputes within the party.
Yilwatda said Tinubu’s efforts helped unify party factions and contributed to the APC’s victory in the 2019 general elections, despite not being president at the time.
He added that Tinubu would continue to play an influential role in the party after leaving office, describing him as a national leader whose experience and political network would remain valuable to the APC.
The APC chairman also dismissed claims that the party lacks support in the North ahead of the 2027 elections, citing the outcome of the August 2025 by-elections.
According to him, the APC recorded victories in several northern states, including Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kogi and Niger, losing only one House of Assembly seat.
Yilwatda said the results reflected the party’s acceptance across different regions, religious groups and ethnic communities, adding that the APC remains the most dominant political party at the grassroots.
