The battle for Nigeria’s 2027 presidency is extending beyond the ballot box after Abdul’Aziz Yari Senator projected that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could remain in power past 2031, triggering sharp pushback from opposition parties.
Yari, a former Zamfara State governor and newly appointed Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, made the declaration barely 24 hours after his unveiling. He projected confidence not only in Tinubu’s re-election bid but also in the APC’s long-term political dominance.
His comments have raised a broader question: whether the ruling party is attempting to establish a narrative of electoral inevitability ahead of 2027, and whether the opposition can prevent that narrative from taking root.
Speaking at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after returning from an overseas trip, Yari said the APC would remain in power beyond 2031.
While campaign officials commonly express such confidence, the reference to a period beyond Tinubu’s potential second term gives the statement greater political weight. It presents the APC as a party looking past the immediate election and positioning itself as Nigeria’s dominant political platform.
