The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission against altering its timetable for the 2027 general elections in a way that could benefit any party.
The APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, gave the caution when he hosted the ECOWAS pre-election fact-finding mission, led by former Sierra Leonean Vice-President Victor Foh, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The meeting, which was attended by members of the National Working Committee, was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the chairman’s Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki.
Yilwatda insisted that INEC must remain firm on its deadlines.
“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.
He noted that the APC had beaten other parties to inaugurating its campaign council, starting campaigns, and uploading candidates’ names, while some opposition parties struggled to complete the process.
Describing the APC as the country’s biggest party by far, Yilwatda said it had about 13 million registered members whose identity cards can be verified using their NIN and voter details.
“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,” he said.
He listed the party’s assets to include over 261,000 executives nationwide, 31 governors, 88 senators and 208 members of the House of Representatives, as well as a strong presence in state Assemblies.
The APC chairman noted that despite having over 7,000 aspirants in its primaries, the party recorded few legal disputes.
He added that many of those who lost APC tickets went on to secure tickets on the platforms of the ADC and NDC, which, he said, reflected the intense competition within the ruling party.
Yilwatda, however, assured the ECOWAS team that the party’s dominance would not be used to stifle the opposition.
“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.
He said all parties should have equal access to the media and campaign venues, citing the “Tinubu Must Go” protests as evidence that dissent was tolerated.
He also said the party’s engagements with stakeholders after its losses in Anambra and Osun governorship elections had produced broader alliances for Tinubu’s re-election.
Foh explained that the mission was assessing the political environment ahead of the polls to support a credible process.
“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,” he said.
He thanked the APC chairman for his detailed briefing on the party’s structure and preparations.
