Opposition Parties Lash Yari Over APC’ll Rule Beyond 2031 Vow

OPPOSITION parties and some stakeholders, yesterday, batted the Director-General of All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, APC-PCC, Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari, over his comments that the ruling party would win the 2027 presidential polls and rule the country beyond 2031.

Senator Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, who spoke at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after returning from an overseas trip, expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure re-election in 2027, adding that APC will retain the presidency beyond 2031.

Another member of the council, and Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, retd, also expressed absolute confidence that the APC will achieve success at the polls and continue to deliver what he described as robust governance and security nationwide.

The boast elicited immediate knocks from opposition parties and stakeholders, including Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s African Democratic Congress, ADC; Mr Peter Obi’s Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC; New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP; Social Democratic Party, SDP; and former presidential candidate, Chief Peter Ameh.

Why Tinubu’ll retain seat, APC rule beyond 2031

Yari’s comments were in spite of the controversy that trailed composition of APC’s campaign council.

He was received by party supporters who gathered at the airport to welcome him late Sunday night and pray for the success of his assignment and Tinubu’s re-election bid.

His declaration came barely 24 hours after the Presidency unveiled the campaign council, headed by Tinubu, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, among its principal officials.

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Imo State governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, was named secretary.

The council, however, has already triggered criticism over the choice of some members, particularly the inclusion of serving public officials and individuals facing unresolved allegations.

The appointment of Nigeria Revenue Service Chairman, Zacch Adedeji as Deputy Director of Fund-raising has emerged as one of the major points of contention, with former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, threatening legal action over what he described as a potential conflict of interest.

The inclusion of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, and former NSITF board chair, Ngozi Olejeme, has also attracted scrutiny because of unresolved financial misconduct allegations associated with the two former officials.

Former presidential adviser and APC chieftain, Babafemi Ojudu, also questioned the composition of the council, while opposition parties have attacked the list and the political personalities selected for the assignment.

Despite the backlash, Yari boasted that the APC will secure another term for Tinubu on the strength of the administration’s performance over the past three years.

“We have seen him [Bola Tinubu] as president today, and by God’s grace, he shall be the president come 2027,” he said.

The former Zamfara governor also sought to reassure Nigerians that the ruling party will remain accountable to the promises it made during the 2023 campaign.

He said: “I want to assure Nigerians that whatever promise we made during the campaign, we shall keep to our promises.’’

Yari said the party’s continued appeal to voters would depend on its ability to fulfill those commitments, adding that the APC was known for keeping its word.

“Our party is synonymous with keeping to our words,” he said. He also prayed for divine guidance for Tinubu and pledged that the APC would fulfill its campaign commitments to Nigerians.

“We pray that Almighty Allah will give him [the President] the wisdom to lead this country. We assure Nigerians that we shall fulfill all our campaign promises,” Yari said. The campaign D-G then expressed the hope that the APC will remain the dominant political party in the country after Tinubu completes a possible second term.

“We pray that our party will continue to be the party to lead the country after President Tinubu’s second term,” he said.

Yari’s 2031 boast exposes over-confidence, detachment from reality – Ameh

Pooh-poohing Yari, former presidential candidate, Chief Peter Ameh, said: “The APC Campaign director-general’s claim that the party will remain in power beyond 2031 stems from overconfidence in an alleged plot to rig elections. Nothing on the ground suggests the APC enjoys enough genuine public acceptance to win a free and fair contest.

APC’ll suffer PDP’s 2015 fate next year

“This is not the first time operators of a ruling party have made such a misjudgment. Similar boasts were heard under the PDP, yet the people eventually voted them out of office because of poor performance. The same fate awaits the APC in 2027.

“The statement also reveals a deep insensitivity and complete disconnect from the harsh economic realities ordinary Nigerians face today.”

Yari defending appointment, APC is an SPV, not real party — ADC

On its part, ADC accused Senator Yari of lying to President Tinubu, saying he was only trying to justify his new position.

“He’s one of those lying to the President. We understand he needs to justify his new appointment,” National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, told Vanguard yesterday,

Abdullahi also took a swipe at the APC, recalling the Peoples Democratic Party’s former boast that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years.

“But what happened? At least, the PDP was a real political party, not this SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle),” he said.

NDC, SDP, NNPP tackle Yari

In like manner, the National Publicity Secretary of NDC, Osa Director, said: “We are used to such empty boasts. A party once said that they would rule Nigeria for 60 years. Where is that party today? ‘’Only small-minded politicians play god with power that belongs to God. Nigerians will speak when elections time come.”

Also lampooning Senator Yari for the remarks, the National Working Committee, NWC, of Social Democratic Party, SDP, said it was certainly not in Senator Yari’s place to make such a declaration, stressing that Nigerian voters would decide if that assertion was a mere wishful thinking or not.

Speaking with Vanguard, the National Publicity Secretary of SDP, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba said: “Nigerian voters will decide if that assertion is mere wishful thinking or not. Certainly, it is not in Senator Yari’s place to make such a declaration.

“Going by recent developments in the polity, particularly the outcome of the governorship election in Osun State, Nigerian electorate have been significantly emboldened to make a strong statement with their votes. They will strongly make a declaration of their leadership choice with their thumbs in January 2026.”

Similarly, NNPP National Chairman, Dr. Agbo Major, who described the statement as unfortunate, said: “The power to keep the APC in office till 2031 or otherwise rest with the electorate, not with him. Nigerians will assess their performance to determine whether to renew their mandate till 2031 or not.”

Don’t be overwhelmed by Tinubu’s appointment, PDP blasts Yari

In like manner, PDP dismissed Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari’s projection, saying he is getting carried away by his new position.

The party said Yari should first prove his mettle by delivering the mandate given to him by President Tinubu before making projections about elections that were still months away.

Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, told Vanguard in Abuja that Yari was being ‘overzealous’ with the appointment.

“I think the senator is simply being overzealous with the appointment given to him by Mr President as director-general. At the moment, he should focus more on how he can deliver on the mandate given to him before talking about 2031. For now, he should concentrate on that, rather than making statements that are not even right.”

PDP boasted 60 years, where are they? Okorie queries

Also reacting yesterday, founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie, cautioned Yari against making boastful predictions about the 2027 elections.

Speaking with Vanguard in Abuja, Okorie said it was the season of politicking, adding that politicians would say what they thought their supporters wanted to hear.

He said: “Senator Yari has not said anything new or strange. I will, however, advise him to concentrate on delivering on his mandate of selling his candidate to Nigerians, not boast about what he knows is in God’s hands.”

The APGA chieftain reminded Yari that he was not the first to make such a declaration.

“Recall, when the PDP was at the height of its power, the then National Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, boasted that the party would rule Nigeria for 60 years. How did that work out?

‘’The party not only lost power, it is in tatters today. Let us not arrogate powers that belong to God to ourselves because we are in government today.”

Okorie said what Nigerians wanted to know was how well President Bola Tinubu and APC governors had delivered on their 2023 promises to deserve a second term.

“If memory serves me right, when President Tinubu announced the removal of subsidy, he said the pains were like labour pains and that the baby will soon be born and people will be happy. Almost four years on, the labour pains have worsened with no signs of delivery in sight,” he said.

Defence minister pledges total dedication to APC campaign, national security

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, retd, has expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the leadership of the APC, following his appointment as Secretary I on the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.

Accepting the appointment, the minister described the trust reposed in him by the President and the party leadership as a call to higher service.

Leah Katung Babatunde, SA Media to the minister quoted him as assuring the party hierarchy, stakeholders, and supporters across the nation of his unalloyed commitment to executing the strategic tasks of the office with diligence, administrative rigour and single-minded focus to guarantee party victory.

General Musa emphasised that while undertaking this vital assignment in support of the party’s electoral agenda, his primary constitutional mandate, which was safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria and protecting the lives and property of all citizens, remained absolute and uncompromising.

“National security remains our highest imperative. The ongoing operations, strategic reforms, and inter-agency collaborations across the defence sector will continue unabated with increased vigour.

“Our resolve to uphold the mandate of the ministry of defence, protect our people and drive Mr. President’s vision for a safe and prosperous Nigeria remains firm and unshakeable,” he said.

The minister called on party members and all patriotic citizens to remain united behind the administration, expressing absolute confidence that the APC would achieve success at the polls, while continuing to deliver robust governance and security nationwide.