APC Has More Registered Members Than All Major Opposition Parties Combined — Yilwatda

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has disclosed that the party currently has 12.9 million verified registered members, significantly higher than the combined figures of several opposition parties.

Speaking during a television interview, Yilwatda stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 2.4 million registered members, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has 1.6 million members. He added that the Labour Party recorded 1.3 million members, while the NDC has about 700,000 registered members.

According to him, the APC remains the largest and most organised political party in the country, insisting that its membership database is fully verified through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

Yilwatda explained that APC members undergo a verification process similar to what applies in banking and official identification systems, adding that the party synchronises its records with NIMC data to ensure authenticity.

The APC chairman also defended the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election, which reportedly produced nearly 10.9 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He dismissed allegations of inflated figures and questionable vote counting, describing viral videos circulating online as misleading and unverified.

Responding to allegations that the ruling party interferes in opposition parties, Yilwatda denied the claims, stating that internal crises within opposition groups were self-inflicted and not caused by the APC.

He further maintained that the APC remains stable despite disagreements arising from its primaries across some states, adding that most governorship contests within the party were conducted through direct primaries rather than consensus arrangements.

Yilwatda also credited President Tinubu for playing a key role in sustaining and stabilising the APC since its formation in 2013.