Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has cautioned voters in Northern Nigeria that a victory for opposition presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in the 2027 election could lead to widespread poverty in the region. He stated that proposals by opposition politicians to reverse some of President Bola Tinubu's reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, would deprive the North of funds for infrastructure, agriculture, and education.
Yilwatda accused the opposition of using regional media, particularly Hausa-language radio programs, to misrepresent the administration's policies and performance. He cited claims that Tinubu had neglected the North as an example. The APC chairman made these statements while addressing State House of Assembly candidates who defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the APC from Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara states.
According to Yilwatda, ongoing federal road projects across the region demonstrate the administration's commitment to northern development. He listed several projects, including the Abuja-Kano and Kano-Maiduguri roads, as well as projects covering Abuja-Lokoja-Benue, Akwanga-Jos, Kwara-Mokwa, Sokoto-Kebbi, Kano-Daura, and Zaria-Danja. Yilwatda questioned how the opposition would fund its proposed return to fuel subsidy while sustaining such projects.
The APC chairman linked increased federal allocations to improved finances of northern states, recalling that many states struggled to pay salaries and gratuities before Tinubu assumed office. He stated that among the about 30 states that could not pay salaries in Nigeria, all the states in the North could not pay salaries as of 2023 when President Tinubu took over.
Yilwatda urged the defectors and APC members to intensify mobilization for Tinubu's re-election. Meanwhile, in Ondo, APC National Women Leader, Dr. Mary Alile Idele, called for the re-election of Tinubu, declaring that the President should complete two terms before power is handed over to another region. Idele spoke in Akure during the inauguration of the Tinubu Torch Bearers structure in Ondo State.
In Imo State, APC leaders in Owerri Zone sought the support of traditional rulers in the nine local government areas of the zone for Tinubu and the party ahead of the 2027 elections. The leaders also canvassed support for the zone's bid to produce the next governor of the state. Owerri Zone APC Chairman, Chief Justus Ogu, urged the monarchs to take the party's message to their communities and encourage residents to vote for the APC.
The APC leaders in Imo State emphasized the need for the zone to demonstrate its electoral strength in 2027 to strengthen its position in negotiations over the governorship. They also urged the monarchs to mobilize women, youths, and other residents in support of the party. Chairman of the Owerri Zone Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Fred Nwachukwu, expressed support for the zone's governorship aspiration.
Key points
- APC National Chairman warns Northern voters of potential poverty if Atiku and Obi win the 2027 election.
