The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms are laying a solid foundation for a stronger, more productive and prosperous Nigeria.

He said the direction and potential of the reforms had received recognition from major international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressing optimism that Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy was within reach.

Yilwatda spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where President Tinubu and his entourage were received at a rally held at the Senator Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

Addressing the crowd, the APC national chairman said the President’s willingness to confront longstanding structural challenges demonstrated the courageous leadership required to reposition Nigeria for sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda acknowledged that the reforms had imposed difficult adjustments on Nigerians but warned that abandoning them would amount to reversing the country’s progress and returning to the economic difficulties that necessitated the changes.

He described Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy ambition as more than a political aspiration, saying it was a strategic national development target supported by deliberate policy choices and ongoing economic restructuring.

According to him, investments in infrastructure, transportation, education, maritime development and financial inclusion are critical pillars of the administration’s economic transformation agenda.

He particularly identified the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a landmark infrastructure project capable of improving connectivity, stimulating commercial activities and unlocking economic opportunities for Akwa Ibom and other coastal communities.

Yilwatda also said the President’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s maritime economy would strengthen the competitiveness of coastal states and expand their contributions to national development.

On education and social investment, he commended the student loan initiative for widening access to higher education, while noting that targeted interventions for women and small businesses were creating opportunities for increased economic participation.

He explained that the tax reforms were designed to reduce the burden on low-income earners and small businesses, allowing them to retain more of their earnings and operate in a more favourable business environment.

The APC chairman further highlighted improved industrial harmony in educational institutions and the administration’s efforts to settle outstanding obligations to workers, pensioners and retirees of formerly privatised public enterprises as significant milestones.

He urged Nigerians to remain committed to the reform process, declaring: “Never again should Nigeria return to Egypt. We cannot afford to abandon the difficult but necessary work of rebuilding our economy and repositioning our country for sustainable growth.”

Yilwatda maintained that the Tinubu administration’s policies and investments were positioning Nigeria for long-term prosperity, urging citizens to support the President’s vision of building a stronger, more productive and economically competitive nation.

…presents Tinubu, other APC candidates to Ekiti voters

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged voters in Ekiti State and Nigerians at large to support President Bola Tinubu and other candidates of the party in the 2027 general elections.

Yilwatda made the appeal on Thursday during an APC presidential campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, where he joined Vice President Kashim Shettima, members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), governors and other party leaders to present the APC candidates to the electorate.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman described Tinubu as a performer and reformer whose policies and development initiatives, according to him, had positioned the country for economic recovery and national growth.

He expressed delight at the turnout and reception at the rally, describing the gathering as a demonstration of support for the APC and its Renewed Hope Agenda.

Yilwatda highlighted the administration’s economic and policy reforms, particularly the new tax framework, which he said was designed to protect low-income earners and small businesses from excessive tax burdens while allowing them to retain more resources for personal and business development.

He also identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a major intervention aimed at expanding access to higher education and ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent eligible students from pursuing their academic ambitions.

According to him, beneficiaries of the scheme also receive a monthly upkeep allowance of N20,000 to support their welfare while in school.

On infrastructure, the APC chairman cited road projects in Ekiti State, including major connections between Ado-Ekiti and Akure, as evidence of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve transportation, facilitate economic activities and promote development.

He maintained that the Tinubu administration’s development agenda was reflected in practical interventions beyond policy announcements.

Presenting Tinubu for another term, Yilwatda urged Ekiti voters to support the President and all APC candidates contesting elective positions, including seats in the National Assembly and the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

He argued that electing APC candidates across the different levels of government would strengthen the party’s ability to implement its policies and sustain ongoing reforms.

The national chairman further described the APC as a party with an extensive national structure and presence across the country, expressing confidence in its ability to consolidate its electoral strength in 2027.

He called on party members, supporters and stakeholders in Ekiti State to remain united and mobilised ahead of the elections, expressing optimism that the Renewed Hope Agenda would continue to deliver progress and shared prosperity for Nigerians.

…Governor highlights projects, promises more roads, jobs, infrastructure

…Charges electorate to sweep away opposition with their votes

In the The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State on Wednesday officially flagged off its campaign for the 2027 general elections, with party leaders and stakeholders pledging to mobilise voters across the state for the re-election of Governor Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu.

The campaign flag-off, which held at Nsukka Township Stadium, witnessed a large turnout of party faithful, political office holders, traditional and community leaders, as well as supporters from across the three senatorial districts.

Speakers at the event described the mammoth crowd as a demonstration of the APC’s political strength in Enugu State, insisting that the party was determined to consolidate its presence and secure victory for all its candidates in the forthcoming elections.

Addressing the gathering, Governor Mbah highlighted his administration’s investments in security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, economic development, and revival of moribund assets and completion of abandoned projects.

He urged the people to assess his government’s performance through its achievements and ongoing projects, noting that the opposition had not even presented any manifesto.

Reflecting on his journey to Nsukka ahead of the rally, Mbah said the ongoing dualisation of the Penoks–T-Junction – Ugwogo-Opi-Nsukka road had significantly reduced travel time and improved safety.

“I left the office a few minutes past 1pm. It took me two to three minutes to get to T-Junction from Penoks. And it just reminded me of how motorists could have spent so much time, sometimes up to 30 minutes or hours if we did not dualise that road.

“From T-Junction all the way to Nsukka, I noticed that work was going on right left, green, what have you. The contractor assured me that a realistic commissioning date is before the end of this year.

“Another thing the road reminds me is that we have kissed empty Mondays goodbye. Once upon a time, we dreaded traveling on that road because of fear of attack are gone. Today, we have kissed it goodbye,” he stated.

According to him, the administration’s infrastructure programme is not merely about constructing roads, but also about reconnecting communities, expanding economic opportunities and promoting greater integration across the state.

He cited the 40km Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Umualor-Ikem virgin dual carriageway, which connects to Obollo-Afor road as another intervention designed to improve connectivity, and now links communities in the northern part of the state, while also serving as a new gateway to the North Central part of the country.

On education, Mbah said the Smart Green Schools initiative was fundamentally designed to transform the quality of learning and prepare children for a productive future and modern economy.

He disclosed that the government had recruited more than additional 6,000 teachers, who were undergoing training at the state’s Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation, as part of the efforts to move education in the state away from the traditional emphasis on memorisation and repetition towards critical thinking, creativity, innovation and problem-solving.

In the healthcare sector, the governor said his administration was constructing Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state’s 260 electoral wards, with each facility provided with healthcare personnel and accommodation, including a two-bedroom residential unit.

On economic development, Mbah listed the reopening and operations of the Presidential Hotel, International Conference Centre, United Farm Products Limited, Songhai Enugu Integrated Farm and Sunrise Rice Flour Mill, among other investments, as evidence of the state’s efforts to stimulate economic activities and create employment opportunities.

He also described Enugu Air as more than an airline, saying it represented the state’s readiness to attract investment, tourism and business opportunities.

“Enugu Air represents more than an airline to us. It is our statement that we are open for business and we are open for tourism. We are open for people to come here and live.

“So, in a few weeks, Enugu Air will have a direct flight to London. Before the end of the first quarter next year, we will also have a flight to the United States and China,” he enthused.

The Governor, however, acknowledged that more work remained to be done, particularly in road infrastructure, reiterating his administration’s commitment to its 10,000-kilometre road construction target.

“We are not measured by our words; we are measured by our results. We don’t say things that we don’t deliver on. What we commit to, we deliver,” he said.

The governor also highlighted his administration’s efforts to clear inherited pension and gratuity liabilities, disclosing that the state had approved N32 billion and started paying gratuity arrears dating back to year 2000.

He also acknowledged the role of President Tinubu’s economic reforms in creating additional fiscal opportunities for state governments, which he said his administration had leveraged to invest in infrastructure, social services and employment generation.

The governor further commended the President for federal interventions in the South-East, particularly the establishment of the South East Development Commission, approval of regional gas pipeline projects, road infrastructure and appointments of indigenes of the zone into key positions.

He specifically referenced the appointment of an indigene of Nsukka as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, saying the development addressed a long-standing aspiration of the university’s host community.

Earlier, Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai said the forthcoming elections presented an opportunity for the people to sustain the development programmes of the current administration and accused the opposition of disinformation.

The Director-General of the Enugu APC Campaign Council, Chief Charlie Mbah; elder statesman and former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, represented by the Commissioner for Local Government Matters, Deacon Okey Ogbodo; APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye, who represented the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; Enugu State APC Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunwike; Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District; Senator Ikeje Asogwa of Enugu North Senatorial Zone; Minister of Innovation , Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, SAN; Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia; Member representing Nkanu West/Nkanu East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Nnolim Nnaji; Member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency; South East Zonal Woman Leader of the APC, Dr. Oby Ajih; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uche Ugwu; and Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Engr. Jude Asogwa, reiterated Tinubu and Mbah’s outstanding performance, expressing confidence that all AOC candidates would succeed at the polls

Meanwhile, with the official flag-off, the Enugu State APC said it was set to commence a statewide campaign tour, taking its message to nooks and crannies of the state.