By Mokobia Rita.
ABUJA/Nigeria: Fresh political tension erupted on Monday as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, openly mocked the escalating internal battles rocking Nigeria’s opposition parties, declaring that he derives “fun” from watching rival political camps attack one another publicly.
Yilwatda spoke during an appearance on Politics Today, the flagship political programme on Channels Television, where he dismissed allegations that the ruling APC was orchestrating crises within opposition parties, insisting instead that the opposition was engineering its own downfall.
The APC national chairman specifically referenced the intensifying verbal exchanges between the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing the public confrontations as political drama unfolding within the opposition camp.
“In the last three weeks, the APC has not been fighting ADC or NDC,” Yilwatda said during the interview.
“It is ADC versus NDC and NDC versus ADC. I watched the videos, the exchanges, the insults and the fireworks from both camps, and honestly, I laughed. The implosion is happening inside the opposition, not inside the APC.”
His remarks come amid growing cracks within several opposition parties as political realignments and coalition efforts gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The opposition space has recently witnessed accusations, counter-accusations and internal disagreements, raising concerns over the ability of rival parties to present a united front against the ruling APC.
Responding to suggestions that the APC could be quietly fueling the unrest to weaken competing political platforms, Yilwatda denied any direct involvement but maintained that politically neutralising opponents remains part of strategic politics.
“No, I can’t say I am behind it,” he stated.
“But if I could weaken the opposition politically, I would gladly do so because that is politics. If people are opposing you, your responsibility is to outsmart and stop them politically.”
Yilwatda also projected confidence in the APC’s internal stability, arguing that unlike opposition parties battling open divisions, the ruling party has established structures for conflict resolution and internal management.
According to him, the APC operates committees at both national and state levels to resolve disputes arising from congresses, primaries and internal disagreements before they degenerate into public crises.
The APC chairman further defended the party’s organisational capacity, revealing that its membership registration process is linked with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database.
He explained that members are registered through verified national identity records, which he said gives the party a technological and administrative edge.
“To become a registered APC member, your data is sourced from NIMC — the same system Nigerians use for banking, passports and driver’s licences,” he said.
“That is why the APC remains one of the most stable and politically viable parties in the country. We are operating as a data-driven political institution.”
Political observers say the remarks underscore growing confidence within the ruling party as opposition groups continue struggling with internal cohesion and coalition-building efforts ahead of 2027.
With the APC consolidating its position and opposition parties increasingly embroiled in public disputes, analysts believe the unfolding political contest may ultimately depend not only on who challenges the ruling party, but on whether the opposition can overcome its internal fractures before the next election cycle.
