The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has accused several politicians who previously benefited from President Bola Tinubu’s political support of abandoning him when he sought the presidency in 2023.
Yilwatda made the allegation on Friday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja while receiving defectors from opposition parties in Sokoto, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano and Plateau states into the ruling party. 
He said Tinubu had consistently supported politicians across regional and political divides before pursuing his presidential ambition but did not receive similar backing from some of them when he needed it.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always supported northern politicians because he believes in the unity of Nigeria,” Yilwatda said.
The APC chairman cited Tinubu’s support for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar during his 2007 presidential bid and former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu, who contested under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011.
He also recalled Tinubu’s support for former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, arguing that the President had consistently promoted political cooperation and national unity.
According to Yilwatda, Tinubu remained committed to supporting Buhari even when some northern political leaders withdrew their backing.
The APC chairman urged the defectors to support Tinubu and his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, describing their decision to join the ruling party as an indication of confidence in the President’s leadership.
Defending the administration’s performance in northern Nigeria, Yilwatda highlighted infrastructure projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, the Kano-Maiduguri road and railway developments.
He criticised opposition figures for questioning the Federal Government’s achievements in the region, insisting that infrastructure investments were being pursued across the country.
Yilwatda also challenged opposition proposals, particularly a pledge to reduce petrol prices by N500 per litre, arguing that implementing such a measure would cost about N20 trillion annually.
“How can you promise what you do not have when about 60 per cent of our oil production is tied to joint ventures, where the Federal Government owns only part of the production?” he asked.
The APC chairman further accused Atiku of overseeing the sale of public assets at prices below their construction costs during the privatisation exercise.
He did not provide further details to substantiate the allegation in the remarks contained in the report.
