By Chesa Chesa
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the party’s nationwide structure, estimated 13 million members and numerical strength in elective offices give it a significant advantage over opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda made the declaration when he received a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja over the weekend.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman said the party had built an extensive political organisation with structures across the country’s 774 local government areas.
He described the APC as Nigeria’s largest political party, claiming that its membership was approximately three times that of the next biggest party.
“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.
Yilwatda disclosed that the party had about 13 million registered members with membership records and identity cards linked to their National Identification Numbers and voter identification details for verification.
He said the party also had more than 261,000 executive members across its ward, local government, state and national structures, providing a strong network for grassroots mobilisation and electoral coordination.
The APC chairman further cited the party’s representation in elective offices as evidence of its political strength, saying it controlled 31 of the 36 states, 88 of the 109 Senate seats and 208 of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives.
He added that the party also enjoyed significant representation in state Houses of Assembly and maintained organised support groups comprising women, youths and persons with disabilities.
Despite the party’s claimed numerical and organisational advantage, the APC chairman assured the ECOWAS delegation that the ruling party would not use its position to undermine opposition parties or restrict democratic participation.
Earlier, Foh said the ECOWAS mission was in Nigeria to undertake a political assessment that would contribute to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in 2027.
He explained that the mission’s work would be guided by systematic observation, verification and reliable data rather than assumptions.
“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.
Foh said the mission was engaging relevant political stakeholders to obtain information and perspectives that would assist its assessment of Nigeria’s electoral environment.
He commended Yilwatda for the presentation, saying the information provided had offered valuable insights into the APC’s organisational structure, membership, internal processes and preparations for the 2027 elections.
