The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned the party’s Presidential Campaign Council against glossing over the Federal Government’s challenges as it prepares to campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Yilwatda said the APC must combine its defence of the administration’s achievements with an honest assessment of areas where Nigerians are still waiting for improvements.
He spoke on Wednesday, October 14, at the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“We have made so much progress but must acknowledge where we have challenges while explaining the objectives, progress and continuing work of the administration,” he said.
The APC chairman argued that the party’s electoral message should rest on “a clear record, an honest assessment of the challenges and a credible vision for the future”.
He said the campaign must address issues directly affecting households, including the cost of living, insecurity, unemployment, education, healthcare, agricultural productivity and access to economic opportunities.
Yilwatda urged campaign officials to explain how the administration intended to tackle these concerns rather than focus exclusively on its achievements.
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He maintained that the APC would seek another mandate for Tinubu because “the administration’s reform agenda and development priorities deserve continued consideration and the opportunity to deliver further results.”
The chairman also called on the council to demonstrate how government investments in roads, electricity, railways, ports, agriculture and digital connectivity would improve Nigerians’ daily lives.
“Our responsibility is to explain clearly what has been completed, what is progressing and what remains to be done,” he said.
Yilwatda further acknowledged the opposition’s “legitimate role in our democracy”, urging the APC to campaign peacefully and allow Nigerians to judge competing records and policies.
He called for stronger coordination across the party’s structures and urged campaigners to ensure meaningful participation by women, young people and persons with disabilities.
The APC inaugurated the council with Tinubu as chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima as vice chairman, former Zamfara governor Abdulaziz Yari as Director-General and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as secretary.
The party has announced plans to launch its campaign in Kaduna on October 24, ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.