National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is denied a second term in the 2027 general elections, the North may experience a fresh rise in poverty and a reversal of ongoing development projects. Yilwatda made this statement in Abuja while receiving a group of former members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who defected to the APC.
According to Yilwatda, several interventions by the Tinubu administration, including road construction, student loans, compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives, and fertiliser-related measures, have particularly benefited the northern states. He argued that the region cannot afford a return to the economic conditions that prevailed before Tinubu assumed office, citing the inability of state governments to meet salary and pension obligations.
Yilwatda criticised the proposal by the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to restore fuel subsidy, questioning how such a policy would be funded without affecting ongoing government programmes. He noted that the removal of subsidy had provided the federal government with resources to pursue projects and interventions across the country, including those targeted at the North.
The APC chairman linked the administration's energy policies to agricultural production in the North, highlighting the importance of gas and fertiliser interventions. He said the region needed these initiatives, which had helped reduce the burden of transportation on vulnerable Nigerians through the CNG programme.
Yilwatda also emphasised the significance of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for northern students, noting that beneficiaries from the region constituted a significant proportion of those accessing the fund. He argued that abandoning the programme would have consequences for students unable to afford their fees.
The APC chairman questioned how a return to fuel subsidy would impact infrastructure spending, particularly road construction, and whether programmes designed to reduce transportation costs and improve access to energy would continue under such an arrangement. He expressed concerns that the North would suffer if these initiatives were halted.
Yilwatda's comments suggest that the APC is preparing for the 2027 general elections, with the party's leadership highlighting the potential consequences of a change in government. The party's stance on key issues, including fuel subsidy and infrastructure development, is likely to be a major factor in the election campaign.
Key points
- A defeat for President Tinubu in 2027 could lead to a reversal of development projects and worsen poverty in northern Nigeria.
- The APC chairman criticised the proposal to restore fuel subsidy, questioning how it would be funded without affecting ongoing government programmes.
- The North has benefited significantly from the Tinubu administration's interventions, including road construction, student loans, and fertiliser-related measures.
