Opposition parties and political figures have rejected the prediction by the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Abdul’Aziz Yari, that the ruling party will win the 2027 presidential election and remain in power beyond 2031.
Yari, a former Zamfara State governor, made the declaration after returning to Abuja from an overseas trip. APC supporters received him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, gathering to welcome him and pray for the success of his new assignment.
The former governor expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would secure another term in office in 2027 and said the APC would remain in control of the country after the President’s second term.
His prediction came shortly after the Presidency released the 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council, with Tinubu as chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice Chairman I and APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, as Vice Chairman II.
Yari was named Director-General of the council, while Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, was appointed Secretary.
The campaign council has, however, faced criticism since its composition was announced. Some party members and opposition figures have questioned the inclusion of serving public officials and people facing unresolved allegations.
The appointment of Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, as Deputy Director of Fundraising has attracted particular attention. Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has threatened to challenge the appointment in court, arguing that the position could create a conflict between Adedeji’s public duties and partisan political activities.
The inclusion of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu and former NSITF board chair Ngozi Olejeme has also generated questions because of unresolved allegations involving the two former officials.
Former presidential adviser and APC chieftain Babafemi Ojudu has equally criticised aspects of the campaign council, adding to the concerns surrounding the new structure.
Despite the criticism, Yari maintained that the APC had enough reasons to seek another term for Tinubu. He based his confidence on what he described as the administration’s performance since taking office and its ability to deliver on promises made during the 2023 election.
He also said the party would work to keep its commitments to Nigerians and prayed for wisdom for Tinubu as the President leads the country.
Yari further expressed the hope that the APC would remain the party in control of the Federal Government after Tinubu completes a possible second term in office.
His statement immediately drew criticism from opposition parties, which argued that the decision on who governs Nigeria belongs to voters and not to the leadership of any political party.
Peter Ameh, a former presidential candidate, described Yari’s prediction as a sign of excessive confidence and a failure to understand the mood of Nigerians.
Ameh argued that the APC did not currently have enough genuine public support to assume victory in a free and fair election. He also compared Yari’s comments with similar claims made by the Peoples Democratic Party when it was in power, saying the former ruling party was eventually defeated despite its confidence that it would remain in office.
He said the APC could face a similar outcome in 2027 if Nigerians become dissatisfied with its performance.
The African Democratic Congress also criticised Yari’s remarks. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the APC campaign chief was trying to justify his new appointment by projecting an easy victory for the ruling party.
Abdullahi recalled that the PDP had once made a similar prediction that it would remain in power for decades, but later lost control of the Federal Government.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress also dismissed the prediction as an empty political claim. Its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said political parties had made such statements in the past only to lose elections when voters eventually made their decisions.
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Director said the 2027 election would give Nigerians the opportunity to determine which party and candidate they wanted to support, adding that no politician could determine the outcome ahead of the polls.
The Social Democratic Party equally rejected Yari’s projection, saying the final decision would be made by Nigerian voters.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, said Yari had no authority to decide how long the APC would remain in power. He argued that recent political developments showed that voters were becoming more willing to use elections to express their views about government performance.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party also described Yari’s statement as premature. Its National Chairman, Agbo Major, said the APC would have to allow Nigerians to assess the government before expecting another mandate.
According to him, the electorate would determine whether the ruling party deserved to remain in power after the 2027 election and whether it should continue beyond 2031.
The Peoples Democratic Party also took aim at Yari, accusing him of becoming carried away by his appointment as campaign council director-general.
The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said Yari should focus on delivering the responsibility handed to him by Tinubu instead of making predictions about elections that had not yet taken place.
He said the APC campaign chief would first have to prove his ability to organise the party and secure the support of voters before talking about a second election after 2027.
Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chekwas Okorie, also warned Yari against making predictions about the future political direction of the country.
Okorie said politicians often make bold statements during election periods to encourage their supporters, but warned that electoral outcomes remain beyond the control of individual politicians.
He recalled that former PDP National Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor had previously predicted that the PDP would remain in power for 60 years. The party later lost the presidency in 2015 and has since struggled to regain control of the Federal Government.
Okorie said the experience should serve as a lesson to politicians who make long-term predictions about their parties remaining in power.
He argued that the more important issue for the APC should be whether Tinubu and the party’s governors have fulfilled the promises made to Nigerians during the 2023 election.
The political reactions came as the Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, expressed readiness to contribute to the APC’s 2027 campaign after his appointment to the Presidential Campaign Council.
Musa thanked Tinubu and the APC leadership for the confidence placed in him and described the appointment as an additional responsibility.
The minister pledged to work with other members of the campaign council to support the party’s electoral plans and pursue victory in the 2027 election.
He, however, said his constitutional responsibility as Defence Minister would remain his primary duty. He said protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity, citizens and national interests would continue regardless of his involvement in the APC campaign.
Musa also said defence operations, security reforms and cooperation among security agencies would continue as the government works to improve national security.
He called for unity among APC members and supporters ahead of the election and expressed confidence that the party could win the 2027 contest while continuing to pursue its governance and security programmes.
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