The All Progressives Congress has said its 13 million registered members, 31 governors and more than 261,000 executive members give it an advantage over other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, stated this on Saturday while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States, led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said the party’s nationwide structures and grassroots strength made it approximately three times larger than its closest rival.
He said the APC’s strength went beyond electoral victories, citing its membership records, grassroots network, elected officials, support groups and established internal structures.
The statement quoted Yilwatda as saying, “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.
“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 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.
“Professor 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.”
Yilwatda said the party’s nationwide structures strengthened its grassroots engagement and campaign coordination, while its elected representatives reflected its political reach across the country.
According to the statement, the APC has more than 261,000 executive members across its organisational hierarchy, a network the chairman described as a major source of its political strength and nationwide reach.
It said, “He disclosed that the party has 31 governors out of 36, 88 senators out of the 109-member Senate and 208 members of the House of Representatives out of 360 seats. He added that the party also enjoys a significant presence in state Houses of Assembly across the country.
“Yilwatda said this representation provides the APC with an extensive network of political leadership and elected officials capable of connecting government policies with citizens and mobilising support at the federal, state and local government levels.
“He stressed, however, that the party’s strength is not limited to elected officeholders, as it also enjoys support from a broad range of organised groups, including youth, women and persons with disabilities.”
The chairman added that the APC had inaugurated its campaign council, commenced activities and uploaded its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal ahead of rival parties.
The statement said Yilwatda expected INEC to adhere strictly to its published electoral timetable, arguing that consistent application of the rules was essential to ensuring fairness among political parties.
“We believe INEC should stick to its timetable. The rules must apply equally to every political party. The electoral process must be fair, transparent and predictable, without adjusting deadlines in a manner that gives any party an undue advantage,” he said.
He stressed that the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections were based on its organisational capacity, candidate readiness and nationwide structures rather than an assumption that electoral victory was automatic.
Earlier, the head of the ECOWAS mission and former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, said the team was assessing Nigeria’s political environment to support the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections.
2027: APC claims edge with 13 million members, 31 govs
