The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has said opposition parties are spending more time talking on television than doing the hard work of grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda made the remarks on Sunday during an interview on Trust TV, where he responded to questions about the APC’s political strategy and allegations that the ruling party was working towards a one-party state.
According to him, while opposition parties focus on media appearances, the APC is strengthening its base through direct engagement with people across the country.
“Opposition parties spend more time on TV talking,” Yilwatda said. “It is not our duty to help our enemies to grow. We can’t feed our enemies. They should labour; they should go to the streets.”
He explained that the ruling party’s strength comes largely from behind-the-scenes mobilisation rather than public displays on television.
“Yesterday, I came back from Taraba. Tomorrow, I will be in Katsina. I am not receiving a governor; I am going for mobilisation. I am engaging people and talking to people,” he said.
Yilwatda added that his schedule involves constant movement across states to build support at the grassroots level.
“Four days ago, I was in another state. On Saturday, I will be in a different state again, going round, talking to people and mobilising behind the scenes,” he said.
He stressed that what Nigerians often see on television is only the final outcome of political work, not the actual process.
“What you see on TV is the outcome. The process is what happens behind the scenes,” he said. “Why can’t they also spend more time behind the scenes so we can see defectors moving from APC to their parties?”
Responding to claims that the APC intends to impose a one-party system on the country, Yilwatda dismissed the suggestion, insisting that the party supports a competitive political environment.
“No. If everybody in Nigeria supports the APC, we will be happy, but that does not mean a one-party system,” he said. “We want to have people who challenge us.”
He also addressed comments previously attributed to his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, about the possibility of Nigeria becoming a one-party state, saying there has been no such plan by the APC.
“At no time has the APC, whether through its governors, legislators, the president or the party leadership, moved to amend the constitution or the Electoral Act to promote a one-party system,” Yilwatda said.
He noted that Nigeria still has 18 registered political parties and that the legal framework governing multiparty democracy remains unchanged.
“As long as we have not amended any of these legal frameworks and multiple parties still exist, the claim of a one-party agenda does not arise,” he added.
