The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that Plateau State will deliver over one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, citing the party’s growing dominance and the collapse of opposition structures in the state.
Yilwatda made the declaration on Tuesday at an APC stakeholders’ meeting for Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam (PKK) Federal Constituency, held at MNS Resort Hotel, Pankshin.
According to him, the APC is now far stronger in Plateau than it was in 2023, stressing that political forces that once opposed the party have now aligned with it.
“All the stumbling blocks we had in 2023 are no longer there. Those who opposed us then have joined us now, including the Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, commissioners, local government chairmen, and other political appointees,” he said.
He described PKK as a traditional stronghold of the APC, recalling that President Tinubu recorded some of his highest votes there during the 2023 presidential election.
“Out of the three local governments in PKK, President Tinubu won two. The Senate seats were APC, the House of Representatives was APC, and most members of the Plateau State House of Assembly were APC. APC has always been PKK, and PKK has always been APC,” Yilwatda stated.
The APC National Chairman said the party now enjoys a united political front, which he described as “a movement without friction.”
“Come 2027, I can assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will pull some of his highest votes here, both in numbers and percentage. There is no ward, no polling unit in PKK that we will not win. Politics is a game of numbers, and our target is over one million votes,” he declared.
Yilwatda highlighted the party’s numerical strength, citing the influx of key political actors: “Today, we have the governor, the National Chairman, all members of the House of Representatives, all members of the House of Assembly minus one, all senators minus one, all commissioners, councillors, and local government chairmen. At both state and federal levels, we are now one family.”
He also pledged to stop publicly criticising Governor Mutfwang, noting that party unity now gives him direct access to governance: “If the government gets it wrong, I can pick up the phone, visit the governor, and discuss how to do better. That is the right way to build governance.”
Addressing concerns over the influx of new entrants, Yilwatda assured that no one would hijack the party structure: “There are many rooms and many chairs. APC gives equal rights and privileges to everyone, whether you joined today or ten years ago.” He directed party leaders to welcome new members, including defectors from the PDP and other parties.
Yilwatda also highlighted reforms under his leadership, including digital membership registration, expansion of APC’s electoral dominance nationwide, and plans for a new National Secretariat in Abuja. “Today, we have over 100 senators, nearly 300 members of the House of Representatives, and 29 governors. When I became chairman, Plateau was PDP. Today, Plateau is APC,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Senator Diket Plang (Plateau Central), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam), and the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Na’anlong Daniel, commended Yilwatda’s leadership and pledged loyalty to President Tinubu, Governor Mutfwang, and the APC. They assured that Plateau would deliver its highest-ever vote tally for the party in 2027.
Also speaking on behalf of APC elders, Professor Saleh Kanam, alongside commissioners Hon. Ephraim Usman and council chairman Hon. Lapchin Golime, pledged unwavering loyalty to the party.
The stakeholders’ meeting drew a large crowd of party officials at state and local government levels, including youths, women, ward chairmen, local government chairmen, former national and state assembly members, former commissioners, and former local government councillors from Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam.
