We must convert Tinubu’s governance record into electoral success in 2027 – APC Chair

Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the ruling party must convert governance achievements under President Bola Tinubu into electoral success in 2027.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the PGF–renewed hope ambassadors strategic summit held at the State House conference hall, Yilwatda said governance without effective communication would not yield political dividends.

“Good governance without communication is invisible. Communication without structure is noise. And politics without grassroots mobilisation is an organised defeat,” he said.

He said the summit was convened to strengthen governance communication under the renewed hope agenda and lay the structural foundation for a decisive victory in 2027.

“We are here to ensure that governance translates into gratitude… That gratitude translates into loyalty… And that loyalty translates into victory in 2027,” he said.

Yilwatda warned against contradictory narratives and internal sabotage within the party, noting that discipline and ideological clarity are critical ahead of the next general election.

“One party” means no contradictory narratives. No internal sabotage. No freelance communication,” he said.

“When the president speaks, governors must echo. When governors deliver, ambassadors must amplify. When the party decides, members must defend.”

He said 2027 would not be won by assumption but by structure and unity.

“We can either assume victory, or we can engineer it deliberately,” he said.

Yilwatda added that Nigerians would ultimately choose between what he described as populism and progress.

“In 2027, Nigerians will choose between noise and nation-building. Populism and progress. Confusion and renewed hope,” he said.

Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo and chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), who is also the director-general of the renewed hope ambassadors, said the summit was convened to strengthen governance communication and lay the foundation for victory in 2027.

Uzodimma said the gathering was designed to “reinvent our identity, unify our structures and bring us into one indestructible, strong and united family driven by one unassailable vision and focus.”

He thanked Tinubu for his courageous reforms, noting that the president chose sustainability over sentiment.

“History often judges leaders more kindly than their contemporaries do. The decisions that secure long-term national stability are rarely the ones that generate immediate applause,” he said.

The Imo governor said Nigeria’s foreign reserves rose from $32 billion in May 2023 to $49 billion in February 2026, adding that inflation had declined while crude oil production improved.

“The problem is not policy failure. The problem is a communication failure. And that failure is on us,” he said.

According to him, the 2027 elections will be “a referendum on reform” and “a referendum on courage”.

“A referendum on whether Nigeria continues forward or retreats backward,” he said.

He urged party leaders to adopt a unified messaging guide, institutionalise grassroots engagement templates and accelerate membership drives.

“From this moment forward, we operate as one party, with one message, one mobilisation framework, anchored on the APC Manifesto, strengthened by Renewed Hope governance, activated at the grassroots, and measured in outcomes,” he said.

Uzodimma said support groups backing Tinubu’s re-election must align with the party’s communication architecture to avoid contradictory messaging.

“Coordination does not stifle enthusiasm; it amplifies effectiveness,” he said.

The summit featured technical sessions, panel discussions and a commitment pledge aimed at unifying party machinery ahead of 2027.

Zonal coordinators of the renewed hope ambassadors present at the event were Anyim Pius Anyim (south-east), Tanko Al-Makura (north-central), Isa Yuguda (north-east), Ifeanyi Okowa (south-south), Adedayo Adeyeye (south-west) and Aminu Bello Masari (north-west).

Also in attendance were Uba Sani, deputy director-general, Inuwa Yahaya, secretary, and James Faleke, assistant secretary.