The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed claims that the ruling party is responsible for the internal crises and defections rocking opposition parties, insisting that Peter Obi’s history of switching political parties predates the APC government.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, Yilwatda said Obi had been changing political platforms since 2014 and was never forced out of any party by the APC.

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Responding to allegations that the ruling party had orchestrated divisions within opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, Yilwatda maintained that the APC had no role in Obi’s departures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), or his eventual move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“Nobody in APC chased Peter Obi out of PDP. Nobody from APC chased Obi out of the Labour Party. Nobody in APC chased him out of the Labour Party to ADC or chased him out of ADC again to NDC,” he said.

He added that Obi’s pattern of changing political parties began long before the APC assumed power.

“He started moving from his party long before now, during the time of President Jonathan in 2014. It means that APC has been the person chasing him from 2015 till date, when we were even opposition?” Yilwatda said.

The APC chairman described the challenges facing opposition parties as self-inflicted, arguing that many politicians frequently move from one political platform to another in search of opportunities.

“This is a group of people who have a self-inflicted wound. Every day, they move from party to party,” he stated.

Yilwatda also claimed that Obi left the ADC after discovering he could not secure an automatic presidential ticket before joining the NDC, where he eventually emerged as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

“When he left Labour Party, he moved to ADC. He came to ADC, he discovered that he couldn’t get an automatic ticket. That’s why he left to NDC. And in NDC now, he has gotten his ticket,” he said.

He argued that if the APC truly intended to destabilise Obi politically, the ruling party would have prevented him from obtaining the NDC presidential ticket.

Yilwatda further denied allegations that APC members had infiltrated opposition parties to create instability.

“There’s no single member of APC that is in ADC. No single member of APC that is in NDC,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that persuading politicians from other parties to join the APC is part of his responsibility as national chairman.

“Of course, we do it. We move around. That’s even the role. That’s my role as national party chairman. It’s part of my role… To galvanise and mobilise the party,” he added.

The APC chairman also dismissed suggestions that politicians who defect to the ruling party are shielded from corruption investigations.
“Never. Most people who are in APC have still been prosecuted,” he said.

His remarks come amid continued accusations by Obi and other opposition leaders that the APC is fuelling internal crises within rival parties as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially inaugurated its National Campaign Council for the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election, declaring the contest a “must-win” battle and a major test of the party’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

The 276-member campaign council, chaired by Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, was inaugurated in Abuja on Tuesday by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.

Speaking at the event, Yilwatda said the APC would deploy its extensive political structures, grassroots network and campaign machinery across Osun State to secure victory for its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

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Describing the APC as Nigeria’s strongest political party, Yilwatda said its large number of governors, lawmakers, local government officials and party leaders positioned it to win elections at every level.

“The APC has all it takes to win elections in Nigeria — from councillorship and local government elections to governorship and presidential elections in 2027,” he said.

The APC chairman described the Osun governorship election as the party’s final electoral outing before the 2027 general elections, stressing that it would serve as a rehearsal for the nationwide campaigns.

“This is our litmus test. It will measure our level of preparedness for 2027. It will be our practice ground and our rehearsal for the political machine we are preparing for the general election.

“That is why winning the Osun election is a must for the APC,” Yilwatda added.

He disclosed that the party would embark on aggressive grassroots mobilisation through person-to-person and house-to-house campaigns across the state, with governors, members of the National Assembly, state lawmakers, local government chairmen and councillors participating in the exercise.

Chairman of the campaign council, Hope Uzodimma, described the assignment as “a call to service” and urged party members to remain united while running a peaceful, issue-based campaign.

“Our assignment is clear: to listen to the people of Osun State, speak to their hopes and aspirations, earn their confidence and convince them to vote for the APC and our governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.

“Our unity must be our first campaign message because a united party is the strongest foundation for victory,” Uzodimma said.

He also pledged that the campaign would not be distracted by misinformation or political attacks.

“We will answer falsehood with facts, propaganda with performance and provocation with peace,” he said.

APC governorship candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji, said the party had intensified consultations with traditional rulers, market leaders, youths, students, artisans, professionals, women and religious leaders across Osun State.

According to him, the engagements have boosted confidence that the APC is well-positioned to reclaim the state.

“Across these engagements, one message has been consistent and clear: the people of Osun State can no longer afford another day of the current administration beyond November 27, 2026.

“With less than two weeks to the election, I am delighted to report that our prosperity message has been received with uncommon excitement. Osun is ready to return to the path of progressive governance, responsible leadership and sustainable development,” Oyebamiji said.

He expressed confidence that the APC would reclaim the governorship through democratic means, citing the party’s growing support across the state’s three senatorial districts, nine federal constituencies, 30 local government areas, 332 political wards and 3,762 polling units.

The inauguration was attended by several APC leaders, including pioneer National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, former National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru and other party stakeholders.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged political actors to seek victory through the ballot box rather than the courtroom as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Atiku made the remark on Tuesday while reacting to the Court of Appeal’s decision overturning a Federal High Court judgment that sought to remove the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties from Nigeria’s democratic space.

In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, the former presidential candidate congratulated the Justices of the Court of Appeal for what he described as their courage, commitment to justice and fidelity to the Constitution, noting that the ruling had strengthened public confidence in the judiciary and Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

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He said the appellate court’s judgment had cleared the legal obstacles confronting the ADC, allowing the party to focus on preparations for the 2027 general election instead of engaging in prolonged legal battles.

“As the nation advances towards the 2027 general elections, political contests must be decided by the votes of Nigerians—not by contrived lawsuits seeking to achieve in the courtroom what cannot be won at the ballot box,” Atiku said.

According to the statement, the Court of Appeal’s ruling, alongside an earlier judgment by Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, affirming the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee of the ADC, has effectively ended all litigation challenging the party’s leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.

The statement added that the appellate court declared the June 15 judgment delivered by Justice Lifu a nullity because it was issued in disobedience to a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal.

It also ruled that the respondents lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to institute the suit, describing their claims as speculative and legally unsustainable.

The court further held that Section 225A of the Constitution should be interpreted disjunctively rather than conjunctively, noting that the suit was filed prematurely since the Osun and Ekiti election cycles were still ongoing.

Atiku also noted that the appellate court criticised the trial court for disregarding unchallenged affidavit evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which confirmed that the ADC and the other affected political parties had complied with all constitutional and statutory requirements.

“Having accepted INEC’s evidence, the lower court had no legal basis to manufacture additional conditions in order to arrive at what the Court of Appeal rightly described as a perverse decision,” he added.

Describing the judgment as a victory beyond the fortunes of a single political party, Atiku said it represents a triumph for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and every Nigerian who believes in free political competition.

“The strength of a democracy lies not in the exclusion of political opponents but in allowing the people to freely determine their leaders through the ballot,” he stated.

He also warned against attempts to weaponise the judiciary and other state institutions for political purposes, saying such actions could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and weaken Nigeria’s constitutional order.

“The judiciary must never be transformed into a battlefield for eliminating political competitors or shrinking the democratic space,” he warned.

Atiku concluded by expressing appreciation to the Justices of the Court of Appeal for delivering what he described as a courageous, impartial and constitutionally grounded judgment, saying the decision reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law over political expediency.