Nentawe Yilwatda, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has declared that opposition parties in Nigeria are no longer a significant force.
He stated this during his appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on Thursday.
The APC chairman emphasised that one of his top priorities is growing the party by bringing in politicians from rival parties, including more governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Yilwatda said the off-cycle governorship elections in states like Edo, Ondo, Kogi, and Imo were enough evidence of the opposition parties losing influence, noting that they have consistently underperformed in those contests.
“There is no opposition for now. I have zero fears for them all,” Yilwatda said.
“Why is it that all the by-elections in the last two years were all won by the APC and in landslide victories in most cases?
“My job is to unite the party and to expand the party. We have 23 governors and we are still counting. My job is to bring in more. We will do the legwork and bring in more.
“So far in 2025, two governors have dumped the PDP for the APC — Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom state and his Delta state counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori.
“At the moment, the APC controls 23 states, the PDP rules 10 states, whilst the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) control one state each.”
Yilwatda also said he will approach leadership with calmness but take “tough decisions” just like President Bola Tinubu.
“The confidence they have in me is to make sure I take tough decisions but with gentility and teamwork for the collective interest of the party,” he said.
“Of course, I will because that is what the president asked me to do, and the members are asking me to do it also.
“Look at the body language of Mr President; soft-talking, calm, gentle, but look at where he is driving the country, taking tough decisions, where people fear to even discuss.”
The former minister pledged to foster inclusivity within the party by engaging all members and conducting wide-ranging consultations with key stakeholders at various levels.
Yilwatda said he plans to draw on the experience of past APC chairmen — including Abdullahi Ganduje, Adams Oshiomhole, Abdullahi Adamu, and Mai Mala Buni — to guide the party effectively.
He emphasised that internal unity is essential for the APC to fulfil its campaign promises and implement its governance agenda successfully.
“I’m a politician coming in with private sector experience, university experience, administrative experience, election processes experience, and now with the political experience to gear the wheel of the party,” he said.
Yilwatda served as minister of humanitarian affairs under Tinubu from October 2024 until he was appointed national chairman of the APC on Thursday.
