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By Henry Umahi
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said that Nigeria was on the verge of total economic collapse when President Bola Tinubu took office. According to him, the president’s bold, courageous and visionary leadership saved the country from going under economically.
He also acknowledged that the government knows how Nigerians feel and the challenges they are going through due to President Tinubu’s economic reforms, but assured that the government was working “assiduously to meet public expectation.”
He justified the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of foreign exchange rate, stating that the country was “on the verge of total economic collapse” when President Tinubu took office.
The APC national chairman’s comments were made while highlighting the progress made so far by the Tinubu administration such as increase in foreign reserves, focus on exports and the implementation of social welfare programmes like the conditional cash transfers and student loans. He reassured Nigerians that their concerns were recognised and being addressed by the administration.
He said: “If fuel subsidy was not removed and forex was not floated, ways and means would have killed the country.
“Nigeria was on the verge of total economic collapse when President Tinubu came in. Now, $45 billion of foreign reserve has been attained. Nigeria is becoming productive, doing more exports, meaning that we are improving.”
Yilwatda, who noted that Nigeria was stabilising under the Tinubu administration, urged the media to always rise in defence of popular rule. According to him, the country could no longer fall victim to military dictatorship.
The professor of computer engineering maintained that the APC government was focussing on ameliorating the living standards of the poor, stressing that after verification, over six million people had benefited from the conditional cash transfer. He also explained that the government now guarantees free treatment for tuberculosis and snake bite, among others.
He praised President Tinubu for the student loan scheme, which allows the children of the poor to have access to tertiary education. He also commended the government for the massive infrastructure uplift across the country.
He pointed out that the factors that drive poverty reside in the states and local governments. The land for agriculture belongs to the state and the water board belongs to the states and local government areas.
He drew attention to the fact that Nigeria now receives more revenue because the revenue-generating agencies are generating more money. He said the government was building schools under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the aviation sector had been repositioned for better performance.
He noted that pragmatic steps were being taken to tackle insecurity, adding that President Tinubu had shelved all engagements outside the country to attend to home affairs.
On the ambassadorial list, he said many factors were taken into consideration by the president.
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“Countries do make peculiar requests, for instance, Saudi Arabia and the Vatican. Other factors are about the persons; their networks, connections and friendly relations,” he said.
According to the party chairman, APC is not about winning elections alone; it is about serving Nigerians. He said the party was expanding its coast ahead of 2027. “We want to have the data of all the APC members that are verifiable. We are building a democratically cohesive party with less crisis.”
Regarding the allegation about the disqualification of some governorship aspirants in Ekiti and Osun states to pave the way for consensus candidates, he said the nomination guidelines were clear. According to him, the APC cannot break its own rule, stressing that the party is supreme and discipline would not be compromised.
He stated: “You have the guidelines that nomination forms should be taken to the local government and that five financial members should sign the forms. Some aspirants did not bother to let financial members sign their forms.
“In Ekiti, there was an aspirant who did not validate his membership of the party. In Osun, we have 90,000 members. We are updating the register.”
He disclosed that police personnel attached to VIPs, including senior political office holders, had been withdrawn as part of efforts to restore professionalism within the force.
Unlike in the past, he said, the withdrawal directive is now being strictly enforced.
“We took practical steps, such as withdrawing police personnel from VIPs, including some of us. In the past, directives were issued but not implemented. Now, there is full enforcement.”
He added that soldiers were being redeployed from routine checkpoints into forest areas to directly confront terrorists, thereby enabling the police to assume full responsibility for checkpoint operations.
He disclosed that President Tinubu was deeply committed to protecting life and property in the country. To this end, he has cancelled all foreign trips for now.
In a parley in Lagos, Yilwatda spoke on various issues even as he paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of the APC, particularly President Tinubu, for his pioneering stabilising roles. He stressed that the opposition lacked such a rallying point.
On the role Tinubu played in APC in 2014/15, the national chairman said: “President Tinubu was the rallying point for the APC. He put in his money and connection at no interest. Everybody called him leader. You can’t find that in the coalition.”
Berating the opposition for lacking cohesion, he said: “Everybody in the coalition is looking for the ticket. This is the difference between the APC and the opposition.
“Asiwaju Tinubu has built the party and everybody sees him as a leader. We have that huge respect for the true and focussed leader, an intelligent leader.”
