The All Progressives Congress (APC) says its estimated 13 million members and nationwide organisational structure give it an advantage over other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Chairman of the party, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said this when he received a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Yilwatda said the party’s strength was reflected in its membership database, grassroots structures, elected representatives and support groups across the country.
He disclosed that the APC had approximately 13 million registered members spread across all local government areas, with membership records linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter identification details for verification.
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According to him, the party also has more than 261,000 executive members across its organisational structures, from ward and local government levels to state and national levels.
The APC chairman said the party’s political representation further demonstrated its nationwide influence, noting that it has 31 governors, 88 senators and 208 members of the House of Representatives.
He noted that the party also enjoys considerable representation in state Houses of Assembly.
Yilwatda attributed the APC’s organisational strength to its ability to mobilise different segments of the population, including women, youths and persons with disabilities.
He also disclosed that more than 7,000 aspirants contested for various positions on the party’s platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
The chairman described the high number of aspirants as evidence of confidence in the APC, adding that the party had recorded relatively few post-primary legal disputes despite the level of competition.
He noted that some aspirants who failed to secure APC tickets had subsequently obtained tickets from opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Yilwatda further said the APC had presented candidates for all elective positions it was contesting, released and inaugurated its campaign council and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
He urged INEC to adhere strictly to its published electoral timetable, stressing that the rules must apply equally to all political parties.
The APC chairman, however, assured the ECOWAS delegation that the party’s numerical and organisational advantage would not be used to undermine opposition parties or restrict democratic participation.
He said all political parties should have equal access to the media, campaign venues and other legitimate opportunities to engage voters.
Yilwatda cited protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ demonstrations, as evidence that citizens could express opposing views.
He added that the APC understood the realities of democratic competition, having experienced electoral defeats in the past, including in Anambra and Osun states.
The leader of the ECOWAS mission, Victor Bockarie Foh, said the delegation was in Nigeria to assess the political environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Foh explained that the mission would rely on systematic observation, verification and credible data collection in carrying out its assignment.
He said the delegation was engaging relevant political stakeholders to obtain information that would support its assessment of the electoral environment.
Foh commended Yilwatda for providing detailed information on the APC’s membership, organisational structure and preparations for the forthcoming elections.
He expressed optimism that the engagement would contribute to the mission’s understanding of Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the polls.
