Mark Aba
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has described the presidential ticket of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as the most formidable political combination in Nigeria’s democratic history.
He said President Tinubu deserves another term in office to consolidate the bold economic reforms and transformative development initiatives of his administration.
Yilwatda stated this on Saturday at the Rainbow Coalition Presidential Campaign Rally held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where President Tinubu was received by an enthusiastic crowd of APC supporters, political stakeholders and coalition members from across the state and the South-South region.
The rally, which formed part of the President’s nationwide mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, provided an opportunity for the APC and its coalition partners to reaffirm their commitment to the re-election of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
Speaking at the event, the APC National Chairman said the combination of Tinubu and Shettima represented political experience, courage, capacity and tested leadership required to steer Nigeria through its current challenges towards sustainable economic growth and national prosperity.
According to a statement issued in Port Harcourt by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy to the APC National Chairman, Yilwatda described the ticket as the strongest Nigeria had ever produced.
“The most formidable presidential ticket we have ever produced in Nigeria is the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
“We have a candidate in President Tinubu who is fearless, courageous and determined to confront the challenges of our country. He has demonstrated the capacity to take difficult decisions in the national interest, and he has remained resolute in pursuing the transformation of Nigeria,” he said.
Yilwatda noted that Tinubu had confronted enormous challenges since assuming office, stressing that his administration had taken decisive steps to address structural problems that had hindered the country’s development for decades.
He said the President inherited serious fiscal and economic difficulties, including unsustainable fuel subsidy expenditure, revenue constraints and mounting financial obligations, but had demonstrated the political will to implement difficult but necessary reforms.
The APC chairman identified the removal of fuel subsidy, unification of the foreign exchange market and other economic policy adjustments as critical measures aimed at rebuilding the economy, strengthening public finances and establishing a sustainable foundation for long-term growth.
Although he acknowledged that the reforms had imposed significant adjustments on households and businesses, he maintained that the administration was addressing their effects through economic stabilisation measures, social interventions, infrastructure investments and policies aimed at expanding opportunities for Nigerians.
He also highlighted the administration’s ambitious infrastructure programme, particularly the construction and development of major highway corridors designed to improve connectivity, facilitate trade, reduce transportation costs and promote national integration.
According to him, investments in strategic road infrastructure, including ongoing and proposed superhighway projects, demonstrate the President’s determination to deploy infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth.
“We have a President who understands that development cannot happen without infrastructure. He has initiated an ambitious infrastructure revolution through major highway projects that will connect different parts of Nigeria, open up economic corridors, facilitate the movement of goods and services and create new opportunities for our people.
“These are not merely road projects. They are investments in the future of our country, in agriculture, commerce, industrialisation, tourism and the prosperity of future generations,” he added.
Yilwatda urged Nigerians to remain focused on the long-term objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, arguing that sustaining the reform trajectory would enable the administration to consolidate its policies and deliver greater economic benefits.
He described Tinubu as a reformer and performer whose leadership vision prioritises national development over political convenience, adding that the 2027 presidential election would offer Nigerians an opportunity to choose continuity, stability and consolidation of ongoing reforms.
On Rivers State, the APC National Chairman expressed satisfaction with what he described as growing political support for Tinubu’s re-election, noting that the President’s political base had expanded beyond traditional party boundaries.
He commended political leaders, stakeholders and members of the Rainbow Coalition for embracing national unity, political cooperation and continuity in the country’s development process.
Yilwatda said the emerging political alignment in Rivers State reflected a broader understanding that the success of the Tinubu administration was in the collective interest of Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“Come 2027, we want to continue with this reformer and performer as our President. That is why the coalition and the people of Rivers State, irrespective of political party, have decided to work together for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
The APC chairman expressed confidence that Rivers State would deliver overwhelming votes for Tinubu in the January 2027 presidential election.
He specifically acknowledged the mobilisation capacity of Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, and other political leaders, expressing optimism that their combined efforts would secure massive electoral support for the President.
“Come January 2027, Rivers State will stand still. With the mobilisation capacity of the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, and other political leaders and stakeholders, we are confident that Rivers will deliver maximum votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We are looking forward to a situation where every part of this country will feel the impact of the prosperity that the consolidation of these reforms will bring. We shall return after the election to give thanks for a renewed mandate and a brighter future for Nigeria,” Yilwatda said.
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