The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, on Sunday projected a sweeping victory for the ruling party in the 2027 general elections, anchoring his optimism on what he described as the growing national acceptance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Yilwatda made the declaration in Abuja while receiving the leadership of Women Leaders Support Advancement, a political advocacy group canvassing greater inclusion of women in governance.

His comments come at a time the APC is intensifying internal consultations ahead of its crucial National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings now shifted to December 18 and 19 at the Presidential Villa.

“Our party is fully prepared for the future, and by the grace of God, the APC will win convincingly in 2027,” the APC Chairman declared.

He insisted that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had widened political participation for women and youths, adding that the administration’s policies aligned with growing demands for inclusive leadership.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu is deliberately structured to address the concerns of women, youths and all Nigerians who desire good governance and inclusive leadership,” he said.

Yilwatda urged Nigerian women to remain steadfast in supporting the President, describing them as essential to the APC’s grassroots machinery.

“I want to appreciate your dedication and encourage you to remain consistent in taking the message of the APC to every community in Nigeria,” he added. “Women remain the backbone of political mobilisation, and your role is critical to our success.”

The visit also offered the women’s organisation an opportunity to pledge deeper engagement across the country.

The group’s matron and co-founder, Dr. Martina Yilwatda, charged members to strengthen their presence at the grassroots.

“This platform must not only exist in name but must be felt in the homes, markets and communities of our women,” she said. “We must strengthen grassroots mobilisation, especially among women and youths, to deepen political participation and national development.”

The founder of the group, Deborah Hornecker, who was accompanied by the secretary, Zainab Musa, expressed appreciation to the APC chairman and his wife for their support.

“We sincerely appreciate the love and support shown to us by the APC Chairman and his wife,” Hornecker said. “We assure you that Women Leaders Support Advancement will mobilise women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to support the APC and ensure victory for the party in 2027.”

The delegation also reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the achievements of the Tinubu administration and expanding the participation of women in national politics.

Yilwatda’s bold projection comes as the APC continues to consolidate its structures nationwide and fine-tune its strategy ahead of the 2027 race.

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The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has condemned the defection of 17 Rivers State lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress, describing their action as reckless and an act of betrayal carried out at a critical moment for the state’s democracy.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the lawmakers had portrayed themselves as “enemies of democracy by abandoning the platform through which they were elected.”

He accused them of undermining the mandate of Rivers people and destabilising the legislature for partisan gain.

Seventeen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, dumped the PDP for APC on Friday during a plenary, attributing the move to what he described as a “division” within the PDP.

He said, “Distinguished colleagues, APC is my new party. I will do all that is needed to be done towards ensuring that the party card of the APC is issued to me in no time. But as I speak today, I am a member of the APC. I am happy to be a member of APC so that we can join forces with Mr President. Mr President is doing so much for this country.

“As of today, even the national headquarters of the PDP is not functioning as a result of this division. There are two factions, and the constitution is clear that when there is a division in any political party, when the party is divided, members including Assembly members who no longer have hope can leave the party without any consequences.

“That is why I had to make this clear, that the foundation for this defection is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, Ememobong said there was nothing surprising about the development, noting that they simply moved from APC back to APC.

He stated, “This is a case of re-defection; they had previously defected then later denied it. The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made a mockery of the legislature.

“So, the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC.”

At the Friday plenary, the House expressed concern over Fubara’s delay in submitting the list of commissioners’ nominees for screening, with the Speaker calling it a breach of the constitution. The House adjourned plenary to the 26th of January, 2026.

A statement later issued by the media aide to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu, said the House has reaffirmed its resolution to adopt the auditorium of the legislative quarters as its hallowed chamber.

The statement was titled, “Rivers Assembly Reaffirms Resolution on the Adoption of Assembly Quarters Auditorium as Chamber,” with a sub-title, “As 17 Members of the House Defect to the APC.”

“At its 39th Legislative Sitting of the 3rd Session of the Tenth Assembly, the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Friday, through a Motion, reaffirmed its earlier resolution made on the 14th of December, 2023, which adopted the auditorium at the State House of Assembly quarters as its hallowed Chamber to conduct legislative businesses,” it stated.

Moving the motion for the reaffirmation, Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Linda Somiari-Stewart, averred that section 101 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers the House to regulate its own procedures, including where to hold its sittings for the good governance of the state.

He prayed the House to resolve, among others, the reaffirmation of the current hallowed Chamber situated at the Assembly quarters as the legitimate and lawful Chamber for the conduct of legislative businesses for the life of the Tenth Assembly of the State.

According to the statement, members commented in support of the motion and urged the House to mandate the Clerk to continue to provide all administrative support to the House in the current hallowed Chamber.

Speaking on the motion, Amaewhule stated that what makes an Assembly is the people and not the building, calling on all relevant security agencies to continue to provide security for the Assembly quarters to enable the House perform its constitutional duties.

The statement added, “Still on Friday, 17 members of the House who were elected into the House under the umbrella of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, defected to the APC.

“The reason given for the defection, as individually affirmed, was predicated on the division in the party at the national level, which has made the future of the party hazy and nebulous.”

“Those who defected to the All Progressives Congress include the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule; the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol; the Majority Leader, Hon. Major Jack; the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Linda Somiari-Stewart; the Chief Whip, Hon. Frankline Nwabuchi; and the Deputy Whip, Hon. Ofiks Kabang. Others are Hon. Peter Abbey, Hon. Smart Adoki, Hon. Igwe Aforji, Hon. Arnold Davids, Hon. Enemi George, Hon. Tekenari Granville, Hon. Christian Nwankwo, Hon. Gerald Oforji, Hon. Azeru Opara, Hon. Lolo Opuende, and Hon. Solomon Wami.”