The All Progressives Congress will not be intimidated by rivals spreading falsehoods ahead of the 2027 election, party chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda said on Friday.
He insisted President Bola Tinubu commands a voting bloc of over 12 million party members heading into the race.
Yilwatda made the declaration while receiving the completed Independent National Electoral Commission nomination forms for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja. The submission put to rest months of guesswork about who would accompany the president on the ballot.
The filing also allowed both names to be uploaded to the INEC portal on Friday night, comfortably beating Saturday's deadline set by the electoral body. Special Adviser to the president Ibrahim Masari submitted the forms on Tinubu's behalf.
APC governors, members of the National Assembly, federal cabinet officials and party leadership attended the ceremony in the capital. The event capped a months-long primary process that started at grassroots level and culminated in the presidential primary.
"Today reflects the wishes of over 12 million of our members who overwhelmingly voted Mr President as their candidate to flag off the party candidature in the 2027 presidential election," Yilwatda said. He argued that beneficiaries of government schemes would boost the president's vote tally.
The party chief pointed to 1.5 million students enrolled in the student loan programme and their families as potential supporters. Communities receiving new roads across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones would also back the administration, he added.
Farmers in states like Borno and Niger who received fertiliser assistance represent another voting bloc, Yilwatda noted. He urged governors and party supporters to publicise the administration's track record in their areas.
During a recent visit to his own community, Yilwatda said residents verified government project claims and found them truthful. This experience convinced him voters would reward the APC for its work.
He asked Masari to tell the president that party members stood ready to cast votes for him in massive numbers. Yilwatda expressed certainty that the APC would record its highest vote tally ever in every geopolitical zone.
"We are not afraid, we are not in doubt of our success, there is no shaking at all in any way, that come 2027 our victory as a party is assured and assured," the chairman said. His confidence reflected a party leadership convinced of its electoral dominance.
