The Traffic

APC's New Chairman Yilwatda Declares 2027 Victory: “It’s a Done Deal”

Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the newly installed National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has wasted no time making bold declarations as he officially assumed office at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

In his first address to members of the National Working Committee (NWC), Yilwatda projected a confident vision for the party’s future, asserting that the APC is already positioned for success in the next general elections.

“By God’s grace, 2027 is a done deal for the APC,” he declared, vowing that the party would pursue aggressive expansion and inclusiveness in the lead-up to the polls.

The former INEC commissioner and academic painted a picture of a more technologically driven, open, and people-focused APC. According to him, the party under his leadership would focus on broadening its base—from state governors to ward-level operatives—while deepening its digital transformation and embracing the diaspora.

“We will welcome more governors, senators, lawmakers, local government leaders, and ordinary Nigerians into our fold,” Yilwatda said. “We’re building a party that works for everyone, one that listens, innovates, and delivers.”

Yilwatda also acknowledged the gravity of the task ahead. Describing his new role as both a “privilege and a burden,” he expressed gratitude to APC leaders, state governors, the NWC, and grassroots members who supported his emergence.

He highlighted his longstanding relationship with members of the NWC, noting that many of them had worked alongside him during campaigns, primaries, and election monitoring in the past. This familiarity, he said, would help forge a unified front as the party navigates internal reforms and external political challenges.

“This isn’t just a new administration; it’s a new phase of collective leadership. We’ve worked together before, and now we will build together.”

One of his key pledges was to uphold transparency and digitalization in the party’s operations—a continuation of reforms initiated by his predecessors. He also emphasized the contributions of APC members abroad and promised to integrate diaspora voices more actively into party affairs.

As political jockeying intensifies ahead of 2027, Yilwatda’s confident tone signals a leadership style that blends grassroots mobilisation with institutional continuity.

Whether his optimism holds up under political pressure remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the APC is entering the next election cycle with renewed self-assurance and a chairman who sees victory not as a possibility—but as a foregone conclusion.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna