The All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed that its estimated 13 million members, nationwide organisational network and representation in elected offices give it a significant advantage over opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, made the assertion while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Yilwatda, who received the delegation alongside members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), said the APC had developed an extensive organisational structure that could support its mobilisation and electoral preparations across the country.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the chairman said the party’s strength extended beyond electoral victories to include its membership database, grassroots structures, elected representatives, support groups and internal organisational processes.
“Our party is the largest political party in Nigeria. In terms of structure, organisation and membership, no other political party comes close to us. We are approximately three times larger than the next political party in the country,” Yilwatda said.
He put the party’s membership at approximately 13 million, spread across local government areas nationwide, adding that its database contained members’ records and identification details designed to facilitate verification through their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter identification information.
According to him, the membership registration and identification system provides a framework for grassroots engagement, political mobilisation and internal coordination.
Yilwatda also disclosed that the party had more than 261,000 executive members across its organisational hierarchy, from ward and local government levels to state and national structures.
He said the network enabled the party to maintain contact with members and coordinate political activities across the country.
On the party’s representation in elected offices, the APC chairman claimed that it controlled 31 of Nigeria’s 36 governorship seats, held 88 of the 109 Senate seats and occupied 208 of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives.
He added that the party also had substantial representation in state Houses of Assembly.
Yilwatda said the party’s organisational reach extended beyond elected officials to include youth, women and persons with disabilities, whose participation, he argued, strengthened its engagement with different segments of the population.
“These structures are the foundation of our strength. We have built an organisation that reaches every part of the country and gives us the capacity to engage Nigerians across different demographics,” he said.
The national chairman also pointed to the level of competition during the party’s primary elections, disclosing that more than 7,000 aspirants had contested for various positions ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described the number of aspirants as evidence of the interest in the APC platform and the competition for its tickets.
Despite the scale of the contests, Yilwatda said the party had recorded relatively few post-primary court cases, attributing this to efforts to manage internal disagreements and resolve disputes.
He noted that some politicians who failed to secure APC tickets subsequently obtained nomination tickets from opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, the development reflected the level of competition for the APC’s tickets and the political interest in its platform.
Yilwatda further said the APC had presented candidates for all elective positions it intended to contest in the 2027 elections.
He added that the party had released and inaugurated its campaign council, commenced campaign activities and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
The chairman contrasted the party’s preparations with what he described as difficulties encountered by some opposition parties in presenting candidates and completing their nomination processes.
He also called on INEC to adhere strictly to its published electoral timetable, insisting that the rules should apply equally to all political parties.
“We believe INEC should stick to its timetable. The rules must apply equally to every political party. The electoral process must be fair, transparent and predictable, without adjusting deadlines in a manner that gives any party an undue advantage,” he said.
Despite highlighting the APC’s numerical and organisational strength, Yilwatda said the party remained committed to democratic competition and would not use its position to suppress opposition parties.
He maintained that all political parties should enjoy equal access to the media, campaign venues and other legitimate opportunities to present their programmes to Nigerians.
Citing public demonstrations against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the “Tinubu Must Go” protests, he argued that citizens and opposition groups should be able to express their views without intimidation.
“Being the largest political party does not mean that we want to suppress anybody. We want a democratic environment in which every party can organise, campaign and seek the support of Nigerians without fear,” he said.
The APC chairman also recalled that his party had experienced electoral defeats in previous contests, including the governorship elections in Anambra and Osun states.
He said the party had subsequently engaged political stakeholders and pursued cooperation where common interests existed.
According to him, some of the political realignments following those elections had contributed to broader alliances and cooperation in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Earlier, the leader of the ECOWAS pre-election fact-finding mission, Foh, said the delegation was undertaking a political assessment to contribute to the organisation of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.
He explained that the mission’s work would be based on systematic observation, verification and the collection of reliable information rather than assumptions or arbitrary conclusions.
“Our monitoring is scientific, and our decisions on issues are based on scientific observation. We verify information before making any pronouncement, and we use a robust application system to collect data. Our reports are therefore not arbitrary,” Foh said.
He said the delegation was engaging relevant political stakeholders to obtain information and perspectives that would help it assess Nigeria’s political and electoral environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Foh commended Yilwatda for his presentation, saying the information provided had given the mission useful insight into the APC’s organisational structure, membership, internal processes and preparations for the elections.
He expressed confidence that the engagement would contribute to the mission’s understanding of the country’s political landscape and the conditions surrounding the forthcoming electoral process.
