APC vs. ADC: Yilwatda Dismisses Opposition Coalition

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has delivered a scathing assessment of the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Speaking with a confidence that borders on the absolute, Yilwatda dismissed the political weight of the coalition, asserting that the ruling party holds a crushing numerical advantage over its rivals.

In a high-stakes interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Yilwatda brushed aside concerns that the convergence of political heavyweights—including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi—posed a threat to the APC’s dominance. Using a sharp mathematical metaphor to drive home his point, he claimed that for every individual the ADC manages to recruit, the APC can boast a half-dozen of its own.

The APC chief’s remarks signal a new phase of political signaling as the country moves closer to the 2027 electoral cycle. By naming figures like former Senate President David Mark and former House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal as part of the ADC’s “weak” front, Yilwatda is attempting to frame the opposition as a collection of spent forces rather than a rising tide.

Addressing the flurry of defections that have seen several opposition governors move to the ruling party, Yilwatda argued that this is not the result of coercion but a reflection of the APC’s growing appeal. He portrayed the party as an unstoppable “highway” of progress, driven by grassroots support and a series of high-impact social interventions like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

One of the more contentious moments of the interview involved allegations that the ruling party was pressuring civil servants into its ranks. Yilwatda met these claims with a direct challenge, daring critics to produce a single piece of evidence—be it a letter or a recording—that suggests any form of intimidation. He suggested that such rumors were likely a projection by the opposition, who he hinted might be the ones struggling to inflate their numbers.

Beyond the numbers game, the APC Chairman touched on the delicate internal dynamics of the party, specifically the lingering tension in Rivers State between Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. He maintained a disciplined distance, stating that the dispute between a PDP member and an APC governor remains outside his formal jurisdiction, though he assured supporters that internal mechanisms are in place to manage the party’s own lawmakers.

The “no match” rhetoric used by Yilwatda suggests a ruling party that is feeling particularly insulated from opposition pressure. He pointed to World Bank projections and domestic economic reforms as the true “engine” of the APC’s popularity, rather than mere political maneuvering. For Yilwatda, the opposition is not just behind; they are playing an entirely different, and far smaller, game.

As the political map continues to shift, the ADC coalition faces the daunting task of proving the APC’s math wrong. For now, however, the ruling party’s leadership is content to watch from the heights of their perceived six-to-one advantage, confident that their “mechanics” have the vehicle of state firmly under control.