From Tongnaan Bawa Jos
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that the massive turnout recorded during the party’s nationwide 2026 primaries demonstrates the growing popularity of President Bola Tinubu and the strength of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda stated this on Saturday after participating in the APC Presidential Primary election at Dungung Ward in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The APC chairman, who arrived at the venue alongside former Plateau State Governor and Senator representing Plateau South, Simon Lalong, was received by the Chairman of Kanke Local Government Council, Hon. Lapchin Golime, amid a large gathering of party supporters.
Speaking with journalists after casting his vote, Yilwatda described the turnout across polling centres as “organic,” insisting that Nigerians were increasingly identifying with the APC and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
“You can see the massive turnout in all the places we visited. It is organic. The support for President Tinubu is organic. The support for the party is organic,” he said.
“The entire community is coming out to affirm that what we are seeing today will reflect during the general election. These thousands here are APC members alone. Imagine what the turnout will be when the larger community joins during the election proper.”
He maintained that the APC had continued to gain acceptance in rural communities across the country, noting that the popularity of the party was responsible for the growing number of politicians seeking to contest on its platform.
“Everybody wants to be in APC. People are rejecting other political options because APC is seen as the best vehicle to government. That is why we are confident APC will not lose the election,” he stated.
Yilwatda, however, acknowledged grievances arising from the party primaries but said the APC had established internal mechanisms to reconcile aggrieved aspirants and resolve disputes.
“In APC, we do not discard dissenting voices. We engage, reconcile and bring everybody together because our goal is not just to win with a few members but to move forward as one united family,” he added.
According to him, complaints were inevitable in a competitive process involving thousands of aspirants contesting for limited tickets.
“In some states, you may have only one governorship ticket with over 16 aspirants contesting. For House of Assembly seats, thousands may purchase forms. Naturally, there will be complaints, but people remain because APC remains the most attractive platform,” he explained.
The APC national chairman likened the fierce contest for party tickets to the struggle for a valuable prize.
“If a throne is not valuable, nobody fights for it. People compete for APC tickets because they are valuable. The passion and contest show the strength and relevance of the party,” he said.
Reacting to claims that APC’s dominance was largely driven by incumbency, Yilwatda dismissed the argument, citing the party’s losses in some elections.
“If incumbency was everything, how did we lose elections in places like Anambra, Kano by-election and even the FCT? The truth is that APC continues to win more because of grassroots acceptance,” he argued.
He also disclosed that appeal committees had been constituted to address petitions arising from the primaries.
“There are structured channels for aggrieved aspirants. Nobody is declared a final winner until appeal committees submit their reports and the National Working Committee concludes its review process,” he said.
Also speaking, Lalong commended President Tinubu and the APC leadership for sustaining internal democracy within the party.
The former governor described Yilwatda as one of the most impactful national chairmen produced by the APC since the party’s formation.
“In my history as a foundation member of APC, no chairman has performed the way he is doing within such a short period,” Lalong said.
He added that the large turnout witnessed during the exercise reflected growing public confidence in the APC and the Tinubu administration.
“We came here today and saw an incredible crowd. Even till daybreak, you may not finish counting the people trooping in. That tells you the level of support APC enjoys,” he added.
Yilwatda later monitored the APC primaries in Kanke, Pankshin and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State.