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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s health, insisting that the President is fit to contest the 2027 general election.
Yilwatda made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television on Monday, where he also cautioned against treating isolated criticism of Tinubu as evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with his administration.
Addressing questions about Tinubu’s absence from some campaign rallies, Yilwatda said the President had constitutional duties that could prevent him from attending every political event.
He explained that the party had encouraged some government officials to represent the administration at selected rallies so that official responsibilities would not suffer because of campaign activities.
The APC chairman argued that Tinubu’s decision to miss some engagements should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness or an inability to lead the party into the next election.
Yilwatda also defended the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket that paired Tinubu with Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2023, saying Christians consulted by the party had expressed satisfaction with the arrangement.
The ticket attracted criticism from Christian groups and other political stakeholders during the 2023 campaign, with concerns that it excluded Christians from the two highest positions in the country.
However, Yilwatda maintained that the fears of marginalisation had not materialised, arguing that Christians continued to have their voices heard under the Tinubu administration.
“Most Christians that we’ve engaged and we’ve spoken to them, they are very okay with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“The thought and most Christians feared that the Muslim-Muslim ticket may suppress their voices, but their voices are heard loud and clear now,” he said.
He also said Christians had not faced harassment because of the President’s religion since he assumed office.
On the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which followed a High Court judgment invalidating the David Mark-led leadership, Yilwatda rejected claims that the APC was responsible for the opposition party’s internal dispute.
He questioned why the ruling party was being blamed for a legal challenge brought by a member of the ADC and said he was not concerned about the party’s leadership difficulties.
The APC chairman further expressed confidence that Tinubu would defeat Atiku in a free and fair 2027 election.
He argued that Atiku’s performance in the 2023 poll was largely driven by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) political structure rather than his individual popularity, insisting that the party’s machinery had been instrumental in securing his votes.
“He did not win because of Atiku; he won because of the structure of the PDP. It was the PDP that brought Atiku, not Atiku winning on his own,” he said.
Yilwatda also condemned election-related violence and expressed sympathy for people injured in attacks, while distancing the APC from responsibility for such incidents.
He said the party supported free and fair elections and maintained that its supporters should not be responsible for attacks on political opponents.
“If anybody is injured by anybody across the country, I’m sure it shouldn’t be by APC supporters. I pity anybody who is being injured, and I sympathise with them. Our party stands for free and fair elections,” he said.
The APC chairman also defended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his proposed ₦10 million reward for councils that deliver their wards for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Yilwatda argued that the proposed incentive did not amount to vote buying.
