The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticized a statement made by Nentawe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who claimed there would be “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027.
Yilwatda made the comment on Tuesday while speaking to APC members at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. His words suggest that the APC is confident that it will continue to lead Nigeria beyond the next presidential election.
But the ADC isn’t having it.
In a response on Wednesday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesperson of the ADC, called the statement “arrogant” and “disrespectful to Nigerians,” especially given the hardship many people are currently going through.
He explained that the presidency is not a birthright, but a position that must be earned by performance and renewed through free and fair elections.
“The APC chairman’s declaration of ‘no vacancy in Aso Rock’ is presumptuous and disrespectful to Nigerians who are grappling with hunger, insecurity, and joblessness,” Abdullahi said.
He added that such a bold statement raises serious questions about whether the ruling party still values the votes and voices of Nigerians.
Abdullahi insisted that, whether APC likes it or not, there will be a vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027, and President Bola Tinubu will have to “reapply to Nigerians” by showing what he has done to deserve a second term.
He said many Nigerians are still struggling due to high food prices, rising insecurity, youth unemployment, and a weak naira, despite the government claiming it’s making progress.
“To declare no vacancy two years before an election is to mock the power of Nigerians’ votes. It insults parents who cannot feed their families, graduates without jobs, and entrepreneurs whose businesses have collapsed,” Abdullahi said.
He ended by saying that the APC should not “mark its own papers” and must be judged in 2027 based on real issues like:
- How many jobs were created
- How safe people feel in their communities
- How affordable life has become
- How much electricity is available
- And how fair the government has been to everyone
In short, the ADC wants all Nigerians—especially young people—to know that they have the power to choose their next president and that no party should act like the election is already won.
