2027: Atiku, Obi, Duke, Makinde no match for Tinubu, APC declares
APC Asserts No Match for Tinubu in 2027 Election
By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition leaders, including Peter Obi and Seyi Makinde, lack the credentials to compete with President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at a reception for the Forum of APC House of Representatives Aspirants on Thursday, APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda emphasized that Tinubu’s track record makes him the most credible candidate in the race. The forum was led by Hon. Danjuma Mohammed and convened at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
“No political party, as it stands today, has a more credible candidate than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We have facts and records that demonstrate he outmatches any other candidate on the ballot,” Yilwatda asserted. He suggested that the opposition would struggle to provide a comparable record.
Yilwatda criticized the past administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, stating that Nigerians have not seen any tangible infrastructure improvements from the ₦300 billion road budget allocated during that time.
“During that budget period, we couldn’t find even one road that was constructed or significantly upgraded,” he said. “Show me one road, a span of 500 kilometres, that was built with that money. You can’t find it, but I can point to many roads completed under the Tinubu administration.”
He highlighted specific projects undertaken by the current government, including the expansion of the Abuja-Kaduna highway and the ongoing Trans-Saharan Superhighway, which extends over 1,400 kilometres. Additionally, he mentioned the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project, emphasizing its potential benefits to electricity generation and agricultural production.
Yilwatda also criticized Atiku’s stance on the student loan scheme, which he indicated Atiku would eliminate if elected. “They don’t know the value of ₦20,000 to an ordinary man on the streets,” he noted, referencing the financial assistance provided to students under Tinubu’s administration.
He recounted an example of a student who capitalized on the monthly allowance to start a small business. “That’s how that ₦20,000 is building homes,” he stated.
The forum, originally formed under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to support Atiku and his running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has seen many of its members transition to the APC. Mohammed affirmed their commitment to supporting Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for a second term, stating, “We finally believe that united aspirants constitute a formidable political force.”
Yilwatda committed to integrating the forum into the party’s structure and encouraged members to continue collaborating for future electoral success. “Our party has over 261,000 executive committee members. We want to convert those numbers to victory,” he said.
