Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has criticized the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a feeble opposition party, maintaining that the ruling party still has a significant advantage in power and influence.
Speaking on Politics on Channels Television Yilwatda minimized the political significance of the ADC and a few notable members of the opposition coalition, such as former Senate President David Mark, on Tuesday.
He claimed that the APC was still the party to beat, citing continued defections by opposition governors as proof of the ruling party’s increasing popularity.
In response to allegations that the APC is pressuring civil servants to join it, Yilwatda vehemently refuted the accusation and urged detractors to produce evidence.
“We have never made an appeal to a government servant or asked anyone. No civil servant has been coerced verbally or in writing to bring one video to that effect, and I will apologize,” he stated.
He added that numerical strength obviously favors the APC and noted that such claims might be an opposition projection.
“ADC and the APC are completely incompatible. We have five or six of them for every individual they have,” Yilwatda said.
The APC chairman also denied that the opposition’s coalition of powerful politicians, which includes former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola, unnerves the ruling party.
He emphasized that the APC is neither in danger nor in need, and that the party’s power comes from voluntary support rather than coercion or threats.
