Tinubu will defeat Atiku, Obi in 2027, APC insists

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win the January 16, 2027 presidential election, claiming that internal opinion polls place him ahead of his major opponents.
The party’s national chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, made the claim on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, saying the APC had conducted nationwide assessments showing that Tinubu was leading across several states.
“We have done fact-finding; we are leading. We have done our polls. We have our own polls that give us the real statistics across the states,” Yilwatda said.
Asked whether the findings indicated that Tinubu would win the election, he replied: “Of course!”
Yilwatda dismissed suggestions that the APC was threatened by opposition candidates, including former vice-president Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
He argued that the opposition parties’ electoral performances had strengthened the ruling party’s prospects ahead of the presidential contest.
The APC chairman also defended Tinubu’s economic policies, insisting that the president had performed better than Atiku and introduced tax reforms designed to benefit low-income Nigerians.
According to him, the reforms have expanded the tax base and increased government revenue.
Yilwatda further credited the administration with reforms in the electricity sector, particularly measures allowing state governments to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
“What we are passing through (in Nigeria), for example, at this moment, is temporary. The increase in the cost of fuel is temporary. Nigerians believe in us,” he said.
Responding to allegations that the APC protects members accused of corruption, Yilwatda maintained that party affiliation did not confer immunity from prosecution.
“Nobody is protected (in the APC party). I don’t want to mention names, but I know members of our party (APC) who are undergoing prosecution – who appear in court every day,” he said.
He disclosed that the party had adopted a three-pronged approach to resolving grievances arising from its electoral primaries.
On preparations for the presidential campaign, Yilwatda said the leadership was reviewing the campaign council membership list ahead of its inauguration.
He also welcomed support for Tinubu from the Rainbow Coalition associated with the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike.
Yilwatda dismissed the Tinubu-Must-Go campaign as an opposition-driven initiative, arguing that it did not represent the views of most Nigerians.
However, the APC chairman did not publicly provide the methodology, sample size or detailed results of the opinion polls cited to support his prediction of Tinubu’s victory.