The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, has suggested that former Kano State Governor and NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, may soon join the ruling party.
The former Humanitarian Affairs minister made the remarks during Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, Dockaysworld reports.
Yilwatda hinted that discussions and alignments were ongoing, stating that the APC remains open to welcoming new members, including prominent figures from the opposition.
“I told you, our doors are open,” Yilwatda said. “When everybody’s time is due, it will manifest itself. It’s just a matter of time. People will see for themselves—through the manifesto of the party, the performance of the government, and the decisions the president has taken.”
His remarks come days after Kwankwaso met behind closed doors with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. The visit also came shortly after the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) launched a coalition aimed at challenging the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda, who was sworn in as APC National Chairman on Thursday, said many political actors were beginning to see reasons to realign with the APC, citing improved government performance under Tinubu’s administration.
“If you’re a governor, you would discover that last month the revenue of the government increased by over 40 percent,” he said. “Before now, most governors borrowed to pay salaries. Now, no government borrows to pay salary.”
Until his recent appointment, Yilwatda served as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. He was also the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Plateau State.
President Tinubu is believed to consider Kwankwaso’s potential defection to the APC as a strategic move to solidify northern support and undermine the growing opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that efforts are ongoing within the presidency to pacify aggrieved politicians and expand the APC’s political base, particularly in the North.
