2027: Tinubu’ll win election- APC Chair

• Insists no member is protected from prosecution

By Jude Opara

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election, claiming that the party’s internal polls show the ruling party leading across the states.

Yilwatda also maintained that no APC member is protected from prosecution, insisting that party members facing criminal charges are entitled to their fundamental human rights until they are convicted by a competent court.

The APC chairman made the remarks during an interview on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, on Sunday.

Speaking about the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections, Yilwatda said the APC had conducted polls that indicated support for Tinubu across the country.

“We have done our polls that give us real statistics across the states showing that President Tinubu is going to win this election,” he said.

He added that although the APC was ahead, the party was working to widen its lead.

“We are closing gaps every day. Even though we are leading, we said we need to improve,” he stated.

Yilwatda also criticised opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing them of focusing more on media appearances than grassroots mobilisation.

He argued that Tinubu had performed better than the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and defended the administration’s economic policies.

According to him, the tax laws introduced by the Tinubu administration have benefited the poorest Nigerians.

The APC chairman’s comments come as political parties begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the ruling party expressing confidence in its prospects and opposition parties seeking to challenge its position.

On the issue of corruption and the prosecution of APC members, Yilwatda insisted that membership of the ruling party does not confer immunity from legal proceedings.

He said some APC members were already facing prosecution and regularly appearing in court to answer charges against them.

“Nobody is protected. I don’t want to mention names, but I know members of our party who are undergoing prosecution and appear in court every day,” he said.

However, he stressed that the party would not deny its members their fundamental human rights merely because they were facing prosecution.

According to him, the presumption of innocence remains a fundamental legal principle that must be respected until a court establishes the guilt of an accused person.

“As long as you have not been convicted, we assume you’re innocent because that’s what the law says,” Yilwatda stated.

He added that the APC could not use the prosecution of its members as a justification for depriving them of their legally guaranteed rights.

“So, as APC members, we can’t use strict prosecutions to go ahead and deny people their fundamental human rights,” he said.

Yilwatda’s remarks highlight the party’s stated position that its members should remain subject to the law while retaining the rights guaranteed to every person accused of a crime.

His comments on the 2027 election and the prosecution of party members come amid continuing political debates over the Tinubu administration’s performance, the opposition’s readiness for the next general elections and the fight against corruption in Nigeria.