Tinubu Is Healthy, Capable Of Seeking Second Term, APC Chairman Insists

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed speculations about President Bola Tinubu’s health, insisting that the President is physically fit to contest the 2027 general election.

Yilwatda said Tinubu’s limited presence at political rallies should not be mistaken for ill health or an inability to lead the ruling party into another election.

The APC chairman spoke on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended the President’s participation in political activities ahead of the 2027 polls.

He explained that Tinubu’s responsibilities as President made it difficult for him to attend every campaign gathering, adding that governance must continue alongside political engagements.

According to Yilwatda, some government officials had been advised to attend selected rallies rather than participate in every political event to avoid disrupting official duties.

He also dismissed concerns about the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the APC in 2023, arguing that Christians had not been excluded from governance under the Tinubu administration.

“Most Christians that we’ve engaged and we’ve spoken to them, they are very okay with the Muslim-Muslim ticket,” he said.

He maintained that the initial fears that the arrangement would silence Christian voices had not materialised, insisting that Christians continued to express themselves and participate in government.

Yilwatda also rejected allegations that the APC was responsible for the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), following a Federal High Court judgment invalidating the David Mark-led leadership of the opposition party.

He questioned why the ruling party was being blamed for an internal legal dispute reportedly initiated by a member of the ADC, insisting that the APC had no role in the development.

The APC chairman said he was not worried about the opposition party’s crisis and expressed confidence in his party’s chances in the next general election.

On the anticipated presidential contest, Yilwatda predicted that Tinubu would defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a free and fair election.

He argued that Atiku’s performance in the 2023 presidential election was largely influenced by the electoral strength of the PDP rather than his personal political appeal.

“He did not win because of Atiku; he won because of the structure of the PDP. It was the PDP that brought Atiku, not Atiku winning on his own,” he said.

The APC chairman also denied that his party supported electoral violence, maintaining that it was committed to peaceful and credible elections.

He further defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over his pledge to reward councils with ₦10 million if they deliver their respective wards for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Yilwatda argued that the proposed reward did not constitute vote buying, dismissing concerns over the minister’s pledge.