South-South Backing Tinubu Claim made by APC Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda sparks debate over shifting political loyalties in Nigeria
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has asserted that the entire South-South geopolitical zone is no longer aligned with the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming instead that the region now fully supports President Bola Tinubu.
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Yilwatda made the remarks on Monday during an interview on Politics Today, where he analysed shifting political alignments since the 2023 general elections.
He argued that political support patterns have changed significantly since the last election cycle, noting that increased representation in the National Assembly and state structures reflected a broader consolidation of power by the APC.
“In 2023 how many governors were in APC, how many do we have now? In 2023 how many House of Assembly members did we have? How many do we have now? Then we had over 50 senators now, we have over 90 senators,” he said.
Yilwatda also claimed that support for Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in parts of the North was influenced largely by religious sentiment rather than political alignment, adding that such dynamics had since changed.
He further stated that the South-South region, which he described as historically aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party, had now shifted political loyalty in favour of President Bola Tinubu.
“The South South was purely with PDP and Obi but today all of them, the entire South South is now with Tinubu,” he said.
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The comments come amid ongoing political realignments and intensifying rhetoric among Nigeria’s major political parties as they position themselves ahead of future elections.
