The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the ruling party and, by extension, the Federal Government would continue to yield public space to those protesting against a fresh mandate for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as dissenting views are essential in a democracy.

The APC National Chairman made the remarks at the weekend while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh.

Yilwatda noted that citizens and opposition groups must be allowed to express their views without being automatically subjected to arrest or intimidation.

He maintained that a strong ruling party should be confident enough to compete within the rules of democracy while protecting the political space for opposing views.

He said: “Being the largest political party does not mean that we want to suppress anybody. We want a democratic environment in which every party can organise, campaign and seek the support of Nigerians without fear.”

Yilwatda added that the APC understood the realities of democratic competition, having experienced electoral defeats in the past. He explained that the party had, on such occasions, engaged political stakeholders and pursued cooperation where common interests existed.

He cited the political realignments following the APC’s defeat in the Anambra and Osun governorship elections as an example of how electoral competition could be followed by political engagement and collaboration. He noted that such engagements had contributed to broader political alliances and cooperation in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The APC National Chairman also noted that the ruling party’s extensive and well-coordinated political organisation gives it an edge over rival political parties.

According to him, the party’s strength is rooted not merely in its electoral victories but also in its verifiable membership database, grassroots structures, elected representatives, nationwide support groups and established internal processes.

“Our party is the largest political party in Nigeria. In terms of structure, organisation and membership, no other political party comes close to us. We are approximately three times larger than the next political party in the country,” Yilwatda said.

He disclosed that the APC had approximately 13 million registered members spread across all local government areas in Nigeria, with detailed records of members and membership identity cards designed to facilitate verification through their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and voter identification details.

The National Chairman explained that the party’s membership database and identification system provide a strong foundation for effective grassroots engagement, mobilisation, internal coordination and electoral planning.

Prof Yilwatda highlighted the scale of the APC’s organisational network, noting that the party maintains elected and appointed executive structures from the ward level through local governments and states to the national level.

According to him, the APC has more than 261,000 executive members across its organisational hierarchy, a network he described as a major source of its political strength and nationwide reach.

He noted that the party’s structure enables it to maintain contact with its members and supporters at the grassroots while coordinating political activities and campaign strategies across the country.

The APC National Chairman also pointed to the party’s numerical strength in elected offices as evidence of its national acceptance and organisational reach.

Earlier, the head of the ECOWAS pre-election fact-finding mission, former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, explained that the mission was undertaking a political assessment aimed at contributing to the organisation of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.

Foh said the mission’s work would be guided by systematic observation, verification and the collection of reliable data rather than assumptions or arbitrary conclusions.

“Our monitoring is scientific, and our decisions on issues are based on scientific observation. We verify information before making any pronouncement, and we use a robust application system to collect data. Our reports are therefore not arbitrary,” he said.

He explained that the mission was engaging relevant political stakeholders to obtain information and perspectives that would assist its assessment of Nigeria’s electoral environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Foh commended Prof Yilwatda for his detailed presentation, noting that the information provided had offered the mission valuable insight into the APC’s organisational structure, membership, internal processes and preparations for the forthcoming elections.

He expressed confidence that the engagement would contribute meaningfully to the mission’s understanding of the political landscape and the conditions under which the elections would be conducted. (Nigerian Tribune)