The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has challenged opposition parties to present concrete policy proposals ahead of the 2027 general elections instead of focusing on personal attacks against President Bola Tinubu.
Yilwatda said Nigerians deserved to assess political parties based on their plans to address the country's economic, security and infrastructural challenges, urging opposition leaders to engage the ruling party in debates on competing ideas.
He spoke in Abuja on Tuesday when a delegation of the Council of the Wise of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, visited the APC National Working Committee to advocate peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.
The APC chairman said political campaigns should focus on solutions to national challenges rather than insults and allegations against the President.
“If you have an opposition, place your roadmap. Place your plan before us. We have got to place our own work plan. What do we want to do for Nigeria?” he asked.
Yilwatda said the APC was prepared to defend its policies and engage opposition parties in intellectual debates, insisting that campaigns should give voters the opportunity to compare the parties' proposals.
“We are ready for discussion and engagement with them. We are prepared to engage them in any form of intellectual discourse,” he said.
He urged opposition parties to reduce personal attacks and concentrate on issues affecting Nigerians.
“Tell them to do less of insults. Yes, we'll discuss ideas. Let's go to the table and chat,” he added.
Yilwatda also defended the Tinubu administration's development agenda, citing infrastructure projects, deep seaports, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, gas infrastructure, electricity reforms and digital connectivity as initiatives aimed at stimulating economic growth.
He said the APC had begun reviewing its electoral performance and internal disputes ahead of the next general elections.
According to him, the party held a three-day retreat in Maiduguri, Borno State, where its leaders examined previous electoral defeats, identified the reasons for the losses and discussed ways to resolve internal grievances.
He said disagreements among members had contributed to some of the party's setbacks, making reconciliation and stronger internal structures necessary ahead of 2027.
The APC chairman added that the party had adopted a 14-pillar framework to assess the preparedness of its state structures, with peaceful elections among its priorities.
“We are committed to ensuring that we have a peaceful election in 2027,” he said.
Yilwatda said the party had directed its structures to report potential threats of electoral violence to security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission before they escalated into crises.
He also argued that political parties should demonstrate consistency in their assessment of elections, rather than question the credibility of the process only when they lose.
Earlier, Ariwoola urged the APC leadership to ensure that its candidates, officials and supporters complied with electoral laws, the party's constitution and its code of conduct.
The former CJN warned against hate speech, inflammatory remarks and other practices capable of provoking violence during campaigns, saying political parties had a responsibility to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
He also called for stronger internal democracy and urged candidates and their supporters to demonstrate maturity, responsibility and mutual respect throughout the election cycle.
Ariwoola recalled that Nigeria's electoral history had been marred by political thuggery, vote-buying, ballot-box stuffing, hate speech and other forms of malpractice that had weakened public confidence in elections.
He cited the violence that followed the 2011 general elections, in which more than 1,000 people were reportedly killed, particularly in northern states, as a warning about the consequences of poorly managed elections.
The former CJN said the Council of the Wise was established by the Savannah Centre in 2014, with support from the MacArthur Foundation, to engage political parties and other stakeholders in promoting peaceful and credible elections.
He said the council had undertaken mediation and intervention efforts during the 2015, 2019 and 2023 election cycles and was reconstituted in June 2026 under his chairmanship to sustain the initiative ahead of the 2027 polls.
Ariwoola urged the APC leadership to lead by example by ensuring that its candidates, officials and supporters acted responsibly before, during and after the elections.
He also encouraged Nigerians to turn out in large numbers to vote peacefully for candidates of their choice, stressing that credible elections were essential to democratic consolidation, national unity and sustainable development.
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