The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 is critical to sustaining development and reducing poverty in Northern Nigeria.
Yilwatda made the assertion on Monday in Abuja while receiving a group of members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who defected to the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The delegation was led by Princess Aslam Aliyu, while an ADC candidate from Zamfara State, Hon. Mohammed Hassan, spoke on behalf of the defectors.
Yilwatda warned that reversing some of the Federal Government’s current economic policies could worsen poverty in the North, particularly if funding for infrastructure and social programmes is affected.
Defending the Tinubu administration’s record, the APC chairman cited ongoing and completed road projects across the region, as well as government initiatives in gas development, fertiliser production, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and student loans.
He particularly highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), claiming that a significant number of its beneficiaries are from Northern Nigeria.
Yilwatda also defended the administration’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy, questioning how a return to the subsidy regime would be financed without affecting ongoing development projects.
“The Hausa radio stations tell us that they will return the subsidy. I keep on asking, how are they going to return the subsidy?” he said.
The APC chairman asked whether restoring the subsidy would require the Federal Government to suspend road construction and other infrastructure projects in the North.
“You mean they will stop all these road constructions because they want to return the subsidy? Because there will be no money for this construction,” he said.
He argued that programmes such as gas and fertiliser initiatives, CNG projects and student loans could also face funding challenges if the subsidy regime was restored.
“The beneficiaries of the student loan, most of them are from the North. We have more and more of them in this part of the country. Should we stop it?” he asked.
Yilwatda further argued that the subsidy removal should be viewed against the financial difficulties faced by several states before the Tinubu administration assumed office in 2023.
According to him, some Northern states had struggled to pay workers’ salaries and settle outstanding gratuities, warning that a reversal of current economic policies could worsen the situation.
“And most of our people who can’t afford school fees should go back as wheelbarrow pushers in the villages?” he asked.
“Should we say our state should go back again? They can’t pay salaries, they can’t pay gratuities… increase poverty again in the North.”
The APC chairman also dismissed allegations that the Tinubu administration had neglected the North, citing several major road projects as evidence of federal investment in the region.
Among the projects he mentioned were the Abuja-Kano and Kano-Maiduguri roads, as well as the Jos-Akwanga, Sokoto-Kebbi and Kano-Daura corridors.
Yilwatda said work on the Abuja-Kano road was nearing completion, while construction on the Kano-Maiduguri corridor had also recorded significant progress.
He maintained that the administration’s ongoing investments and programmes demonstrated its commitment to the development of the region.
Meanwhile, the defectors pledged their support for the APC and promised to mobilise their supporters for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Hassan said their decision to leave the ADC was aimed at beginning what he described as a new phase of political service.
“We are not here merely to change the political platform, but to begin a new chapter of service and a great contribution to our people by supporting Baba Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda 2027,” he said.
