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.

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.