The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has denied claims that the party protects its members from prosecution over corruption allegations.
Yilwatda said APC members facing criminal charges still appear in court without the party interference.
He insisted that the party would not interfere with their fundamental human rights in the name of prosecution.
The APC chairman spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would win the 2027 presidential election.
“Nobody is protected in the APC party. I don’t want to mention names, but I know members of our party who are undergoing prosecution – who appear in court every day,” he said.
“As APC members, we can’t use strict prosecution to go ahead and deny people their fundamental human rights.”
On the party’s chances in the 2027 presidential election, Yilwatda said internal polls indicated that Tinubu was ahead of his political opponents.
“We have done fact-finding; we are leading. We have done our polls. We have our own polls that give us the real statistics across the states,” he said.
Asked whether the polls showed that Tinubu would win the election, the APC chairman replied, “Of course!”
The president is expected to face opposition candidates, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Yilwatda said the APC was not afraid of the opposition parties, arguing that their inability to win elections ahead of 2027 gave the ruling party an advantage.
He also described Tinubu as “far better” than Atiku.
Defending the president’s economic policies, the APC chairman said the administration had introduced tax laws that benefited low-income Nigerians.
He argued that the tax reforms had expanded the tax base and increased government revenue.
On electricity, Yilwatda said the APC-led government had empowered state governments to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
He acknowledged the economic difficulties facing Nigerians but described the situation as temporary.
“What we are passing through in Nigeria, for example, at this moment, is temporary. The increase in the cost of fuel is temporary. Nigerians believe in us,” he added.
The APC chairman also addressed internal disagreements within the party following its primary elections, saying the leadership was adopting a three-pronged approach to resolve grievances among aggrieved members.
On the party’s presidential campaign council, he said the leadership was reviewing the list and would inaugurate it soon.
Yilwatda further said he had no objection to the Rainbow Coalition associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He also dismissed campaigners calling for Tinubu’s removal, describing them as opposition members whose activities did not reflect Nigerians’ views about the president.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has denied reports claiming that he called on Nigerians to reject the APC.
In a statement issued by his media office on Sunday, Adelabu described the report as false and misleading, accusing those behind it of attempting to undermine his relationship with Tinubu and the party leadership.
The statement said Adelabu remained committed to the APC despite disagreements surrounding the party’s governorship nomination process in Oyo State.
Adelabu had contested for the party’s governorship ticket but reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the process, particularly over the alleged failure to transparently release the primary election results.
According to the statement, his demand for fairness and transparency should not be interpreted as disloyalty to the party.
“His position has been consistent: loyalty does not preclude the demand for fairness, transparency and adherence to democratic principles,” the statement said.
The media office explained that the video circulating online was an excerpt from an interview Adelabu granted in 2022, when he was the governorship candidate of the Accord Party in Oyo State.
It said Adelabu had expressed the view during the interview that political parties had disappointed Nigerians and that voters should consider the credibility and character of individual candidates.
The statement maintained that the remarks were made in the context of the 2022 political environment and did not amount to a call to reject the APC or oppose Tinubu’s presidency.
It also said Adelabu had not granted any media interview since the conclusion of the controversial APC governorship nomination process in Oyo State in which he made the alleged statement.
The media office challenged those circulating the video to publish the full, unedited interview to establish the context of his remarks.
It added that Adelabu remained loyal to Tinubu and supportive of the APC’s broader political objectives.
The statement urged party members and the public to verify information before sharing it, warning against attempts to create divisions between Adelabu, the president and the APC leadership.
